Consumed
by RinShade
Summary: In the past, the four liars have tried thier best to keep thier secrets safe. But what happens when Spencer finds herself forced to keep a secret she doesn't want. Will someone save her before this dark secret slowly consumes her? rated T for abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**New Story! I know I shouldn't be writing a second story while I'm in the middle of Out of Time, but I can't help myself. Hope you guys like it. Tell me if I should continue with it. Anyway, this takes place after the first episode of season three. **

** Fragile **

Spencer's POV

Easily broken, not secure, unstable, physically weak. That's the definition of fragile, a word that I've used for years in everything from book reports to simple conversations. It was just a word. Something I used to descried the vase I shattered when I was seven, or my nana's china. I never thought I would use it to describe myself. I'm a Hastings god's sake. I'm suppose to be strong, determined, driven, and perfect. But I'm not. Not anymore. Now I'm fragile, and I've hit my breaking point.

I can feel myself shattering into a thousand little pieces, with no hope of ever being fixed. But that's ok. At this point I wouldn't want to be fixed. I'm done. I'm tired. Tired of living in a home where no one loves me. Tired of being afraid. Tired of my fake smile and pretending everything's ok. Tired of all the heavy makeup and long sleeves I have to wear so no one can see the bruises that cover my body. I'm tired of lying and keeping secrets from my friends. Hell, I'm just tired of living.

Every ounce of control has been taken away from me. My freewill was just an illusion created by cruel people, who then ripped it away for their own amusement. They think they can control my every action. But the joke's on them. There's still one thing I have control over. Whether I live or die. I can put a stop to their sick fun and end my misery. Besides, my death is inevitable. My mind died a long time ago. It's just waiting for my body to catch up. I'm nothing more then a shadow waiting for darkness to wipe me out of existence. And I'm done with waiting.

**So what do you think? Should I continue with the story or should I just stop right here? It's up to you.**

-**Rin Shade**


	2. Chapter 2

**I didn't get a lot of reviews, so I'm not sure if I'll continue after this. Hopefully I'll get more reviews for this chapter. I don't own anything.**

* * *

Several weeks earlier.

**Spencer's POV**

"This is all my fault." cries Emily. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop Emily. You didn't do anything wrong." says Hanna.

"It's my fault all of you were there. It's my fault A has pictures of us at Ali's grave." says Emily.

"No it's not." says Aria as she helps me gather up all the incriminating pictures that are scattered in my car.

"A would have just found something else to blackmail us with." I say. "Stop blaming yourself for this."

"Spencer's right. We're here for you Emily." says Hanna.

"Yeah, we're in this together." says Aria.

"Thanks guys." whispers Emily.

"That's what friends are for Em." I say.

"Not just friends. We're family." says Hanna. We all hug Emily before returning to the mess in my car. I pick up the last few copies. I examine one of the pictures. It shows all four of us huddling around Alison's empty grave, with a shovel on the ground next to us. I sigh. If the cops got a hold of one of these pictures we would be thrown in jail.

"I think that's all of them." says Aria, checking the car one last time.

"So now what do we do?" asks Hanna. I look around at the girls. They're each holding a stack of pictures, waiting for someone to tell them what's next.

"We burn them." I say.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asks Aria.

"What else should we do with them?" I say. "Gift wrap them and send the to the police."

"I think we could all do without the sarcasm right know Spencer." snaps Aria.

"Sorry." I say.

"Sarcasm or not. Spencer's right. We need to destroy these." says Emily.

"Ok, fine. So let's burn them." says Aria.

"I'll go find some matches. Come on Em." says Hanna. The two of leave and search the Lost Woods Resort, leaving Aria and I alone.

"I didn't mean to be such a smart ass. I'm really sorry Aria." I say.

"It's ok. I think we're all under a lot of stress right now." says Aria.

"You're right. But I shouldn't be taking it out on my best friend." I say. Aria smiles and hugs me.

"Look who already kissed and made up." says Hanna as walks up to us.

"We found a lighter in the room." says Emily. We all throw the pictures in a pile on the ground. I take the lighter from Emily and I set the pictures on fire. We stand there until there's nothing but ashes.

"Come on guys. It's getting late." I say. We all get into my car and head back to Rosewood.

* * *

It's a long drive back to Rosewood from the Lost Woods Resort. We don't talk much as I navigate the twisted roads back into town. It's dark by the time pull up to Aria's house. Hanna and Emily were spending the night with Aria, so it's the only stop I have to make before I go home.

"Are you sure you don't want stay with us?" asks Aria. "I know you're parents are out of town, and after everything that's happened I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to be alone."

"Thanks, but I think I could use some alone time." I say.

"Ok." she says. "Just call us if you need anything."

"I will." I say.

"Be careful Spence." says Emily.

"Okay, bye." I say. The girls get out of the car and walk into Aria's house. The drive to my house is only about five minutes. I park my car in my driveway and get out. My phone beeps as I walk to the door. I open the text and read it.

**Poor Spencer. Looks like you missed one - A.**

Along with the text is a image of someone holding a copy of the picture of us at Ali's grave. I couldn't tell who was holding it. Was it A, or did A send the picture to someone else. My heart starts to race. I knew A probably had other copies of the picture, but I didn't think they would do anything with it. At least not yet.

I shove my phone back into my purse and walk into my house. I walk through the living room and right when I start to walk up the stairs, I'm startled by a voice.

"Spencer!" my Dad yells.

"God dad. You scared me to death." I say. "I thought you were in Philly with mom and Melissa."

"I was on my way to meet them, when I found this." he shoves a piece of paper in my face. It's the picture of us at the grave.

"Dad. I…" I try to think of something to tell him, but he interrupts me.

"I found it in my briefcase. I don't know how it got there, but I don't really care." he yells. He rips the picture out of my hands and throws it into the fire place where it's quickly engulfed by the flames. We stand in silence for a few minutes. He turns to leave.

"Dad, let me explain." I say. I reach out and touch his shoulder. He spins around and slaps me hard across the face. I stumble away from him. The left side of my face is throbbing, but I'm too shocked to really feel the pain. I look at my dad. His face is red with anger. Like it's my fault that he hit me.

"Dad.." I try to speak, but he doesn't let me.

"No! you don't get to say anything!" He screams. "You've brought so much shame to this family already, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you bring more. I didn't burn that picture for you, I did it for the rest of us. As far as I'm concerned, you're not even part of this family anymore. You're nothing but a burden."

By now I have tears streaming down my face. I want to say something, but I can't find my voice. He walks up to me and pushes me against the wall, cornering me like an animal.

"You are not to tell anyone about this, any of this. Not your mom, not your sister, and not those good for nothing friends of yours. In fact, I don't want you even speaking to them anymore." he say.

"NO! you…." I'm interrupted by his fist slamming into my face. The force of the punch knocks my head into the wall behind me. I cry out in pain and slid down to the floor.

"You don't get a say in this." he yells. "I've been so patient with you. Even after all the shit you pulled in the past, I still gave you a second chance. But this is it. I can't take you and your drama anymore. So from now on, you are going to do exactly what I say or there will be serious consequences. Do you understand." I don't answer him right away. He bends down, grabs my arm and hauls me to my feet.

"I said, do you understand." he yells. I nod my head and he throws me back to the floor.

"Good." he says while looking down at me. "Stop looking at me like I'm the bad guy. This is your fault. You deserve this. You're lucky I don't just call the cops and have you thrown in jail where you belong." he grabs his keys and jacket. "I'm going to meet your mother and sister. I'll be back if a few days." he walks out the door. I listen to him start his car and drive away.

After I'm sure he's gone, I break down and sob uncontrollably. I'm still on the floor where he left me. It takes me a few tries, but I eventually get up and slowly make my way up the stairs and to my room, sobbing the entire time. My head is throbbing. I'm forced to lie down on my bed because I'm so dizzy.

I can hardly believe what just happened. I don't know what to do. My head hurts to much to even think. I need help. I need someone to help me make sense of what just happened. I wipe away my tears and pull out my phone. I can call Toby and the girls. They'll know what to do. I'm just about to call them when I get a text.

**Do what your daddy says and keep quiet. Or your friends will pay the price. - A**

I throw my phone the across the room. I bury my face in my pillow and cry myself to sleep.

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**I hope you guys liked this chapter. If I get enough reviews I'll continue the story. If not, I'll just quit while I'm ahead.**

**-Rin Shade**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! I don't own anything.**

* * *

_I can hardly believe what just happened. I don't know what to do. My head hurts to much to even think. I need help. I need someone to help me make sense of what just happened. I wipe away my tears and pull out my phone. I can call Toby and the girls. They'll know what to do. I'm just about to call them when I get a text. _

_**Do what your daddy says and keep quiet. Or your friends will pay the price. - A**_

_I throw my phone the across the room. I bury my face in my pillow and cry myself to sleep._

* * *

"Spencer." I smile when I hear a smooth voice calling to me, dragging me to consciousness. Thoughts swirl around in my throbbing head, causing memories of last night to come flooding back to me. My dad finding the picture, him threatening me, yelling at me, hitting me. I feel someone's hand gently grab my shoulder. I jerk away and scream, thinking it's my dad.

"Spencer! It's ok , calm down." my eyes focus on the person talking to me. Toby. A wave of relief washes over me. I throw my arms around him and hug him tightly.

"Toby. You scared the hell out of me." I say, my voice slightly shaking. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to take a shower. Remember. You told me to just come in when I got here." he says, hugging me back. I can't believe I forgot that he was coming over. "I'm so sorry I scared you."

"It's not your fault. I completely forgot you were coming." I say.

"Why were you still asleep? You're usually ready for school by now. Are you feeling ok?" he asks. I wasn't feeling ok. I felt terrible.

"I'm fine." I say. "I just had a long night." he pulls away from. All the color drains from his face as soon as he looks at me. _No. _My face. I must look awful after what my dad did to me.

"God Spencer. Your face. What the hell happened." he asks. He softly touches my face causing me to flinch from the pain. I'm suddenly overwhelmed by feelings of shame. I turn my face away from Toby. I can't look him in the eye.

"Spencer. Tell me what happened. Who did this to you." asks Toby. I want to tell him. I want to tell him everything. I want Toby to comfort me. I want him to hold me while I cry. I want him to tell me everything's going to be ok, and that he'll never let my dad hurt me again. But I can't. A was clear about what would happen if I told anyone. I can't think about myself right know. I have to suffer in silence and protect those I care about.

"No one did this to me." I say.

"Don't lie to me Spencer." says Toby. He almost sounds angry. "I've seen people get beat up before. I know what it looks like." I was going to have to pull it together and come up with a convincing lie.

"No one beat me up Toby." I say. I get up from my bed and walk over to my mirror. My reflection shocks me. I have a huge black eye. Almost half of the left side of my face bruised. The dark shades of black, blue, and purple stand out against my pale complexion. My lip is split open and there's a small bit of dried blood on my face.

"Holy shit." I mumble, as I continue to examine my face.

"What's wrong?" asks Toby.

"I didn't know how bad it looked." I answer truthfully. Toby walks up behind me, looking confused.

"You didn't know you had a huge bruise on your face?" says Toby.

"No. I didn't." I say.

"Spencer, look at me." he spins me around and forces me to look him in the eye. His face is etched with sadness. My heart breaks, knowing that I'm the one causing him pain. "Please Spencer. Tell me what happened." he pleads.

"I fell." I say.

"You're lying." he says.

"No. it's true. I came how late last night after dropping Aria off. I was walking into the house when I got a text. I got distracted and I tripped over the door jam and fell. I was carrying all my books, so I wasn't able to catch myself and my face slammed onto the floor." I say, the lie just falling from my mouth. Toby eyes me suspiciously.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asks. "You got hurt. I could've helped you."

"I really didn't think it was a big deal." I say.

"Not a big deal! Spencer. Look at your face! You could've had a concussion." says Toby.

"I realize that now. But at the time, I just felt like an idiot and I wanted to go to bed." I say. I look at Toby, desperately hoping he'll believe me. I don't want him digging for the truth and having to face A's punishment. His features start to soften.

"Are you sure that's what happened." he asks.

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to you about this Toby." I say. "If someone did this to me, I'd want you go bet the crap out of them." I say. At least the last part's true.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"God Toby, yes. Please believe." I say. He studies my face, looking for any signs of dishonesty. A small smile appears on his face.

"Okay, fine. You're telling the truth." he says. I let out a breathe I didn't realize I was holding.

"Thank you." I say. He looks down at me. His fingers trace the injured parts of my face.

"I hate to see you get hurt." he whispers. "It kills me." I bury my face in his chest so he can't see my tears. Lying to him makes me feel sick. He's so honest and trusting. He deserves so much better than me. He tilts my face up and looks at me. I surprise both of us by laughing as I wipe my tears way.

"What is it?" he asks me. I say the first thing that pops into my head.

"I look horrible." I say. He smiles at me.

"You look beautiful. You always look beautiful." he says. I turn away from him and look in the mirror.

"I look like crap." I say. Toby steps in front of the mirror and leans in close to me. His face is less than an inch away from mine.

"You're gorgeous." he whispers. He closes the gap between us and gently kisses me.

* * *

School starts in ten minutes and I'm still at home. I'm dressed and my hair is done, but I just can't get my makeup right.

"Damn it." I say.

"Spencer. You look great. Stop worrying." says Toby. He just got out of the shower. His towel hangs loosely around his hip.

"I hope you never fix get your shower fixed." I say. Toby laughs and sits down on my bed.

"You're going to be late for school." says Toby. I sigh.

"I can't get my makeup to cover this stupid bruise." I say. I look at myself in the mirror. The makeup has done nothing to hide the bruise.

"You can't cover a bruise like that with makeup Spence." he says.

"Then what am I suppose to do?" I say.

"You're just going to have to go to school with a black eye." he say.

"I can't." I say. "Everyone will jump to the worst conclusion, just like you did. I don't want people thinking I got beat up. Maybe I should just stay home."

"Spencer. I know you. You're going to agonize over this until the last second, then go to school anyway." he says, smiling at me. "Why don't you skip all that and go to school now."

"Fine. You're right." I say. I grab my bag and my books. "Where's my phone?" I wonder out loud.

"Here it is." says Toby. He picks my phone up off the floor on the far side of my room. "How did it get over here?"

"I don't know." I say, as I recall throwing it last night. I take the phone from him. I'm slightly disappoint to see that it's undamaged. "Well, I guess I should go. I love you Toby." I say.

"I love you too." says Toby, then I walk out the door.

* * *

Toby's POV

Once Spencer is gone, I let the smile fall from my face. I grab my phone and punch in a number. It rings a few time before someone answers.

"Hey. It's Toby. We need talk about Spencer."

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**-Hope you guys liked the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you think.**

**-Rin Shade**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the great reviews. I don't own anything.**

* * *

_Once Spencer is gone, I let the smile fall from my face. I grab my phone and punch in a number. It rings a few time before someone answers._

"_Hey. It's Toby. We need talk about Spencer." _

* * *

Emily's POV

I pull into the school parking lot about fifteen minutes before the first bell. Hanna and Aria rode with me since we all spent the night together. A night with the girls had made me feel a lot better. But I still feel guilty about getting my friends blackmailed by A.

"I wonder where Spencer is?" says Aria. "She hasn't answered any of my texts, and she's usually at school by now." Aria looks down at her phone, concern written all over her face.

"Maybe she's inside." I say.

"No, her car isn't here." says Aria.

"She probably just got distracted by Toby and his six-pack." says Hanna. Aria laughs, but I can still tell that she's worried.

"Maybe she decided to stay home." I say. "After what happened last night, I wouldn't blame her."

"Spencer's not going to miss school over that." says Hanna. We sit in silence for a few more minutes. They know I still blame myself for what happened at Ali's grave.

"Let's just go in." says Hanna. We get out of the car and start walking to the school. We're almost to the doors when my phone rings.

"Hello." I say into the phone.

"_Hey. It's Toby. We need to talk about Spencer_." the urgent tone in Toby's voice scares me. I motion for Aria and Hanna to Wait. They walk back towards me.

"Is it Spencer?" asks Aria. I ignore her and continue my conversation with Toby.

"What is it Toby? Is Spencer ok?" I ask.

"_Did she tell you what happened to her?"_ he asks.

"No. Toby what's going on? You're scaring me." I say.

"_I'm not sure._" say Toby.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" I ask. I'm starting to get frantic.

"_I think someone hurt her._" he says.

"What!" I yell into the phone.

"_I went to her house this morning to take a shower. She was still asleep when I got there and she got really scared when I woke her up."_ he says

"Is that it?" I ask.

"_No."_ he says. "_When I got her to calm down I realized she had a huge black eye and a busted lip. It looked like someone beat the crap out of her."_

"Oh my god! What happened?" I ask. Hanna and Aria try to get me to tell them what's going on, but I push them away and focus on what Toby is saying.

"_She told me she tripped and hit her face on the floor."_ says Toby.

"But you don't believe her." I say.

"_I don't know_." sighs Toby. "_I want to believe her. She didn't seem like she was lying. But my gut is telling me that there's something she's not telling me_."

"What should we do?" I ask him.

"_I don't know. If something else did happen, I don't thing Spencer is going to tell us_." he says. "_I think for now, we should just keep an eye on her and make sure she's safe_."

"Is that all we can do?" I ask.

"_I think so." _he says.

"Ok." I say. "Is she coming to school?"

"_Yeah, she just left_." he said. "_But she almost stayed because she couldn't cover up the bruise_."

"Is it that bad?" I ask.

"_It's terrible_." says Toby. I can hear the pain in his voice. "_Emily_?"

"Yeah." I say.

"_If she tells you anything. Please call me_." he pleads.

"I will." I say.

"_And don't tell her I called. I don't want her to think that I don't believe her. Besides, she could be telling the truth_." says Toby.

"I won't tell her." I say.

"_Thanks Emily_." he says. "_I have to go. I'm going to be late for work. Please take care of her_."

"We will." I say, looking at Hanna and Aria.

"_Okay, bye_." he says

"Bye." I say, then I hang up the phone.

"What the hell is going on?" yells Hanna.

"Is Spencer ok?" asks Aria. They're both eager to know what's happening.

"That was Toby." I say. "He said that when he saw Spencer this morning she had a huge bruise on her face."

"What happened?" ask Aria.

"Spencer told him that she fell and hit her face." I say. "But he thinks she might be lying."

"Does he think someone hurt her?" asks Hanna. I nod my head. Hanna face turns red with anger and she starts ranting "I'm going to hunt down the son of a bitch that hurt her and rip his…"

"Whoa Hanna, slow down." says Aria, interrupting her. "Spencer could be telling the truth."

"That's what Toby said. He thinks we should just keep an eye on her for now." I say. "Besides, who would hurt Spencer?"

"How about A?" says Hanna.

"Do you really think Spencer wouldn't tell us if A attacked her?" asks Aria.

"Maybe she plans on telling us when she gets here." I say. "If A did attack her, she wouldn't tell Toby because she wouldn't want to put him in danger."

"I think we should stop jumping to conclusions and wait to hear what Spencer has to say." says Aria.

"So we don't do anything?" asks Hanna.

"We make sure she's safe, and wait for her to tell us her side of the story." says Aria.

"Looks like we won't have to wait for long." I say. "She just pulled in the parking lot." we watch as Spencer parks her car in its usual place.

"Come on." says Hanna, as she walk towards Spencer's car. Aria and I trail behind her. We get to her car just as she's getting out. She shuts the door and turns around. She jumps slightly, surprised to see us standing right behind her. She's wearing a pair of sunglasses, but they don't cover the entire bruise and I can still see her busted lip. No one says anything for a minute. Spencer studies us through her sunglasses for a moment, then she smiles.

"Toby called you." she says. I look down at me feet. "It's ok Emily, I'm not upset. He's just worried."

"What happened Spencer?" asks Aria. Spencer sighs then slips off her sunglasses. We all gasp when we see her damaged face. The bruise is huge and dark. And her left eye is slightly swollen.

"Damn Spencer. What the hell happened." says Hanna.

"I told Toby the truth. I tripped. I hit my face on the floor." says Spencer she looks down. "I really thought he believed me."

"You're not lying?" asks Hanna.

"No. I'm not." she says.

"So A didn't do this to you?" I ask. She laughs a little.

"Believe me. This wasn't A." says Spencer.

"So no one hurt you?" asks Aria.

"No. I was by myself last night. No one did this to me." she says. "You guys believe me, right?" we look back and forth at each other. She seems to be telling the truth. Her story made sense.

"Yeah, we believe you." says Hanna. Aria nods in agreement.

"Sorry about all the questions. We were just worried." I say.

"It's ok, as long as you know I'm telling the truth." says Spencer. We hear the bell ring, signaling the being of the school day.

"We better go." says Spencer. We all head to the school in silence. I glance at Spencer while we walk. Like Toby said, she seems to be telling the truth, but something just doesn't feel right. And we're going to figure out what it is.

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**PLEASE REVIEW. Hope you guys liked the chapter. Please tell me what you think.**

-**Rin Shade **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the great reviews! I don't own anything.**

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Spencer's POV

I spent the entire day on autopilot, drifting from class to class. I usually thrive at school, but not today. I can't get my head out of the clouds. I can't stop thinking about what happened. I've seen my dad get furious before, but I never thought he would hit me. But not only did hit me, he threatened to do it again if I screwed up. He also told me I couldn't see my friends anymore. Yeah right. Like I could stay away from my friends. That's one thing I would never be able to do. They're more than my friends, they're my family.

Besides, he probably won't really hurt me again. He just lost control. Not that I'm defending him. If I could, I would tell someone what happened and he would most likely face some serious consequences. I wouldn't want my dad to go to jail, but I'm not the kind of girl who would naturally stay quiet about something like this.

God, I wish I could tell someone. I feel so confused, and I hate being confused. I'm never confused. I always have the answers to problems. But right now, I could really use some help. I just want to stop thinking about this and let someone else take care of it. Take care of me. But that's just not possible. Mona might be in a mental hospital, but A is still out there.

We all know what A is capable of. If A can steal a body, then they wouldn't be afraid to hurt my friends. All I have to do to ensure the safety of my friends is keep quiet and not tell anyone what my dad did to me. It's not the worse thing A ever made me do. I can handle it. I have to.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when the bell rings. Class is over, time for lunch. I gather up my books and head for the door. My teacher gives me a weird look as I leave. All the teachers have been doing that all day. They stare at my face, but they don't say anything. They don't really want to know the truth. They want to just pretend everything's fine. Plus, they probably don't think that the perfect Hastings family could be capable of beating their daughter.

I get the same look from most of the students. Some of them are blunt enough to just come out and ask me what happened. I've told the lie about falling so many times, I almost believe it myself. I spot Aria and Hanna at a table, but something stops me from joining them. Instead I duck in to the restroom. It's empty. I walk to mirror and look at myself.

"Great. Just great." I grumble. The bruise on my face looks even worse. How is that even possible. I close my eyes and sigh. I have a killer head ache. I touch the back of my head. There's a knot there, from when my dad pushed me into the wall. I rummage around in my purse for some aspirin.

The bathroom door opens and I hear the dreadfully familiar sound of Jenna's cane scraping across the ground. I stay silent as she walks up next to me washes her hands. I go to leave, but she stops me.

"Spencer, is that you?" asks Jenna. It's so creepy when she does that.

"Yeah, it's me." I say. I turn and face her.

"Are you ok?" she asks. I can hear the fake sympathy in her voice.

"I'm fine. Why do ask?" I say.

"I hear things." she says. "Everyone in the whole school has been talking about you and how you got that bruise on you're face."

"Is that so." I try to sound like I don't care.

"Yeah. Don't you want to know what they're saying?" Jenna asks.

"I really don't care." I say.

"You're a poor liar." she says.

"If I want to know what people are saying about me, I'll ask my friends." I tell her.

"Like they would tell you the truth." she says.

"Okay, this little chat was fun, but I have somewhere I need to be." I turn to leave.

"No one believes that story of yours. They all know you didn't just fall." she says. I don't say anything. I leave the restroom. I wonder if she really knows something, or if she's just being a bitch.

I walk to the lunch table, this time without hesitation. Emily has joined Hanna and Aria. They don't even hear me walk up. They're to deep in the conversation they're having. They all jump when I slid into the empty seat.

"Hey guys." I say.

"Hey Spence. Where have you been, lunch is half over." says Aria.

"Jenna cornered me in the bathroom." I say.

"What! Why?" asks Emily.

"I don't know." I say.

"Did she do that freaky thing where she knew that it's you even though you didn't say anything?" asks Hanna.

"Do you even have to ask." I say.

"What did she say?" asks Aria.

"She asked me if I was ok." I say.

"That bitch." says Hanna. We all stare at her for a minute, but decide not to say anything.

"Anyway. After that she told me that everyone was talking about me and that no one believes that I got the bruise from falling down." I say. I subconsciously look down and let my hair cover my face.

"No one's talking about you." says Emily.

"Right, I guess I just imagined that everyone was staring at me." I say.

"Who cares if they're talking about you. They're just a bunch a losers anyway." says Hanna.

"Hanna's right." says Aria. I give her a look. "Well, she's sort of right. You can't let what people say bother you."

"What about you guys." I say. "I care about what you guys think, and I get the feeling that you don't believe me."

"Spence, we believe you." says Aria. Hanna and Emily nod on agreement.

"Really, because non of you can even look me in the eye right now." I say.

"We're just worried about you." says Emily.

"Well there's nothing to worry about, so stop." I say. We sit in silence for a few minutes. I shouldn't have snapped at them like that. We're best friends and they can probable tell that I'm lying. I have no right to be angry at them.

"I'm sorry." I finally say. "It's been a long day."

"Don't worry about. I'd be grumpy to if my face looked like that." say Hanna.

"Hanna! Really?" says Aria. I laugh, and soon we're all laughing. Leave it to Hanna to completely relieve the tension from any situation.

Lunch ends and we all go are separate ways. The rest of the day isn't so bad. Before I know it, school's over and I'm heading to my car with Aria. We're going to hang out at her house for a few hours, before I meat Toby at the grill for dinner. We talk about school and homework while I drive to her house.

"I don't know how I'm going finish the paper in time." says Aria. "I'm not even done reading the book yet."

"To bad Mr. Fitz wasn't the teacher still, I'm sure he'd give you some extra help." I say.

"Not cool Spencer." she says. I smile at her. She's trying to keep a straight face, but she fails. By the time we reach her house, we're crying from laughing so hard. We head up to her room and I collapse on to her bed.

"When do you have to meet Toby?" asks Aria.

"Not until six." I say.

"So what do you want to do?" she asks.

"We should probably do our home work." I say. "But I'm not really in the mood."

"Spencer Hastings, not in the mood for homework? What is this world coming to?" says Aria. I roll my eyes at her.

"Let's just watch a movie or something." I say.

"Sounds good to me." she says. Right then there's a knock on the door.

"I'll be right back." says Aria. She runs down stairs to answer the door.

"Spence. It's for you." she yells up the stairs. For me? I wonder who it is. I jump off the bed and head down stairs.

"Who is it?" I ask Aria. She steps out of the way so I can see the person at the door. My breathe gets caught in my throat and my heart starts to race.

"Hello Spencer." he says.

"Dad." I say.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. What do you think is going to happen next? PLEASE REVIEW! **

-**Rin Shade **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all of the support. I love your reviews! I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_Spence. It's for you." she yells up the stairs. For me? I wonder who it is. I jump off the bed and head down stairs. _

"_Who is it?" I ask Aria. She steps out of the way so I can see the person at the door. My breathe gets caught in my throat and my heart starts to race. _

"_Hello Spencer." he says._

"_Dad." I say._

* * *

Spencer's POV

What is he doing here? He should still be in Philly with mom and Melissa. My heart is pounding inside my chest and I'm overwhelmed with feelings of fear and dread. I stare at him. He looks like he always does. Perfect hair, pressed suit, and shined shoes. But when I look into his eyes, I don't see my dad. I see a monster.

His cruel eyes dart over to Aria. It makes me angry for some reason. I don't want him to look at her. I suddenly feel very protective of her and I move to stand in between her and my dad. I don't really think he would hurt her, but I can't be to careful. After all, I never thought he would hurt me, and I was definitely wrong about that.

"What are you doing here dad?" I ask. My voice shakes a little. I hope he and Aria don't notice.

"I was on my way home when I saw your car parked here." he says.

"I thought you were going to be in Philly with mom and Melissa for a few more days." I say.

"I decided to come home early. I didn't think it was fair for you to be alone all that time." he says. He sounds so genuine. But I can tell he's lying.

"So mom and Melissa aren't home." I say.

"No. they'll be home in a few days." he says. My heart sinks. I'll be alone with him for a few days. Will he hurt me again? I hate myself for feeling so scared.

"You didn't have to come home just for me. I was going stay here with Aria for a few days." I say. Aria looks at me. She had asked me earlier if I wanted to stay with her until my parents got home, but I had turned her offer down. Now she's wondering why I'm lying. I throw here a pleading glance, asking her to go along with it.

"Yeah." says Aria. "We have three days of fun planed." she smiles at my dad, but her eyes tell me that I'll have some explaining to do later. My dad is silent for a second. I'm hoping he'll just go and let me stay here until mom and Melissa get back home. But I should know better than to hope for anything. Hope breeds eternal misery.

"Maybe another time." he says to Aria. "Right now there are a few things that Spencer and I have to take care of." I feel sick. I want to run. Maybe I should run. "Come on Spencer. You can follow me home."

"I..I just need to get my things." I say.

"You can get them later." he says.

"Are you sure I'll have time to get them later." I say. He glares at me.

"Fine." he says. "Just hurry." I turn around and walk up stairs. I can hear Aria walking behind me. I walk into her room and start gathering up my things. Aria closes the door behind her.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask without looking at her.

"You know what I mean." she says. "First, you lie about planning to stay with me, and then your dad was giving off some super weird vides."

"Yeah. I guess he was." I say. My hands are shaking as I gather up my books. Maybe I should tell her. She could help me and I wouldn't have to go with him.

"Your dad has never had a problem leaving you alone before." says Aria. I need to tell her. I can't even stand the thought of going with him.

"Aria. I need to.." I'm interrupted by my phone beeping. I pick it up and open the text.

**Careful Spence. If you blab about your daddy hitting you, your little friends won't make it through the night. Just take your punishment like a good girl and no one gets hurt. You know you deserve it.**

**- A**

I close my eyes and try to keep myself from crying. A will kill my friends if I say anything. More than that. A's saying that if I don't go with my dad someone might get hurt. I'm trapped. I can never say anything. I would rather die than put my friends in danger. It was selfish of me to even consider telling Aria. I don't need A to warn me again. I won't say a word to anyone. I will be strong. I can do this.

"Are you ok? That text wasn't from A was it?" asks Aria. I take a moment to compose myself before I look at her. I put a smile on my face and lie through my teeth.

"No. it's just my dad telling me to hurry. He says he got us reservations at a nice restaurant." I say.

"That's nice, I guess." says Aria. Her face looks concerned.

"You guess?" I ask. I need to sell this. I can't let her suspect anything.

"I don't know. He was just acting weird." she says.

"Maybe he really does want to spend time with me. Better late than never right?" I tell her. She just nods. I finish gathering my things. I need to leave before I break down in tears. "Well I better go. Bye Aria." I'm about to walk out of her bedroom when she starts talking again.

"You want to know what's really bother me?" she asks.

"What?" I ask.

"He never said anything about the bruise on your face." she says. I freeze. Damn it. How was I going to cover for this?

"He already knew about it." I say.

"How? He just got back from Philly." asks Aria.

"I called and told him earlier. After I saw how you guys freaked out about it I thought it would be best to call and tell my parents before they got home so they wouldn't freak out too." I lie. "Maybe that's why he came home. Maybe he's worried about me."

"But he didn't even react when he saw your face. I knew about the bruise before I saw you, but when I actually got to see you I lost it. He didn't do anything." she says.

"My dad doesn't exactly express emotions like everyone else. I think he's just concerned about me. He probably wants to take me to dinner and give me the third degree about what happened." I say. "That's why I lied about planning to stay with you. One on one time with my dad isn't what I would consider fun." Aria's face changes slightly. She believes me. I can tell. Relief washes over me. That was a close one.

"You're family's weird." she says.

"You don't have to tell me that." I say with a convincing smile.

"Are you going to be ok? I could come with you." she says. She such a good friend. I really don't deserve her.

"No, I'll be fine. Besides, ninety percent of the evening will be filled with awkward silence and strained conversation." I say, wishing that it was true.

"Ok. Just call me if you need me." she says.

"I will." I say. I turn and leave. I hate lying to her. But it's for her own good, so I can live it. As l walk down the stairs I feel like I'm walking to my own funeral. I think I might vomit. My dad is still standing in the door way. I try to walk by him, but he grabs my arm tightly. There's going to be a bruise there.

"What took you so long?" he says.

"I was talking to Aria." I say.

"About what?" he growls.

"Nothing." I say.

"Don't lie to me." he says and tightens his grip on my arm. I look up at him and glare.

"She just wanted to know why you didn't seem concerned about your daughters bruised up face." I say.

"What did you tell her?" he whispers. I can see the anger ignite in his eyes.

"I told her that you already knew that I fell and hurt myself and that you came all the way home to see if I was ok." I say sarcastically. He releases my arm and pushes me towards my car.

"Follow me home. If you go anywhere else you be in more trouble than you already are." he says. I walk to my car and get in. I back out of Aria's drive way and follow his car. I so badly want to not follow him. I want to leave Rosewood and never come back. But I can't. I have to do this. For Aria, for Hanna, and for Emily. To keep them safe. They would do it for me. I continue to follow my dad all the way to our house. I cry for the entire drive.

* * *

**Did you guys enjoy the chapter? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**

-**Rin Shade**


	7. Chapter 7

**I loved all the reviews. Thanks for the support guys! I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_Follow me home. If you go anywhere else you be in more trouble than you already are." he says. I walk to my car and get in. I back out of Aria's drive way and follow his car. I so badly want to not follow him. I want to leave Rosewood and never come back. But I can't. I have to do this. For Aria, for Hanna, and for Emily. To keep them safe. They would do it for me. I continue to follow my dad all the way to our house. I cry for the entire drive._

* * *

Spencer's POV

I pull into my driveway and park my car. I take a deep breath and wipe the tears from my eyes. I go to open my car door, only to have it yanked open for me. I look up and see my dad. His face is red with anger. He doesn't give me a chance to get out of the car. He grabs me by my arm and pulls me from my seat.

I don't have time to get my footing, and I stumble and fall to the ground. My dad manages to keep a firm grasp on me as I fall, causing my arm to be wrenched back at an odd angle. My dad doesn't let me recover from the fall. Instead, he tries to haul me to my feet by violently tugging at my already strained arm. There's a loud pop, and an intense pain hits me like a ton of bricks as my shoulder is ripped from its joint. An ear shattering scream falls from my mouth.

"Shut up." my dad say. "Quit causing a scene, get the hell off the ground, and get into the house." he continues to pull at my injured arm. I can't help screaming. I know it's only making him angrier, but the pain is to much. He starts to drag me to the house and I struggle to stifle my cries. I try to stand up, but I can't get my feet underneath me.

When he finally drags me to the door, he releases his death grip on my arm so he can unlock it. I crumble to the ground and cradle my dislocated arm. I want to just lie there in the dirt, but I have to get up. If I don't, my dad will probably start dragging me again by my injured arm. The thought of that is all the motivation I need to get myself into an upright position. I use the side of the house to hoist my body up. But in the end it doesn't matter.

As soon as my dad opens the door, he grabs me by my injured arm again and yanks me into the house. He slams the door behind us and shoves me to the floor. The shove takes me by surprise, and I fall hard on the kitchen tile. My dislocated shoulder slams against ground and I open my mouth to scream, but it dies in my throat as the back of my head bounces off the floor. The sent of blood fills my nose and I can feel the warm liquid spill from my head. Black dots spread through my vision as my body threatens to pass out. But unfortunately, my blurred sight clears and I stay awake.

My dad stands over me and stares down. I look him in the eye. Silently pleading with him to stop, to remember that I'm his daughter, and that instead of hurting me he should be protecting me. He continues to stare at me as I stay sprawled on the floor. I'm to afraid to move. My dad wipes his hand over his mouth and then crosses his arms. He looks around the room then back down to me.

"Don't move." he orders. He steps over my body and walks into his office, leaving me alone on the cold tile floor. After a few minutes by myself I try to getting up. I slowly roll onto my stomach and use my good arm to push myself up into a sitting position. The floor is smeared with my blood. I reach up and feel the back of my head. My hair is soaked with blood. I carefully move my fingers over the gash. Damn, does it hurt. I'm going to need stitches. My shoulder needs to be put back into place too. That means a trip to the hospital. How the hell am I going to explain these injures.

The minutes tick by, and I begin to wonder when my dad was going to return. Not that am anxious for him to come back and finish what he started. A small sob escapes passed my lips. Tears start to roll down my face. This is so screwed up. I never thought I would find myself sitting injured on the kitchen floor, waiting for my dad to finish beating me. I would be out of here if it wasn't for A. If A hadn't threatened the safety of my friends I'd have my father's ass thrown in jail for this. My dad thinks he scared me into not tell someone that he hurt me. But he's not the one I'm really afraid of. I can live with my dad hitting me, but I can't live without my friends.

More tears start to fall down my face. I wish I could say that I'm crying because of the physical pain, but I'm not. I'm crying because I'm weak. And weakness is something that I can't afford. I need to be strong if I'm going to make it through this and keep my friends safe.

"What are you doing?" says my dad. I almost jump out of my skin. I didn't even hear him come out of his office. I look up at him. He has a glass of brandy in his hand. "I thought I told you not to move." he says.

"I didn't." I say.

"Really? I could have sworn you were lying right there when I left." he points to the bloody area on the floor. I look up at him in disbelief. Did he honestly expect me to just lay on the floor and wait for him?

"Are you kidding me?" I say. I expect him to smack me for smarting off, but instead he just laughs.

"You'd think someone as smart as you would know when to shut up." he says. His voice is calm and relaxed. For some reason it scares the hell out of me. Like the calm before the storm. "You have many flaws Spencer, but stupidity isn't one of them." he examines the contents of his glass as he talks. "You're selfish, difficult, useless, and a waste of time. But you're not stupid." he sets his glass on the counter. "That's why I know you didn't just forget the conversation we had the other day."

"Dad I.." I start to speak, but he interrupts me.

"Shut up!" he screams and kicks me in the stomach. I double over in pain. "I told you to stay away from those girls and you completely disobey me. And you did it because you have no respect for me you little shit." he kicks me again in the stomach. I cry out in pain. I try to move away from him, but I can barley move.

"Don't you dare try and go anywhere. This is you're fault. You should have learned how to show me some respect a long time ago." he yells. "It's time you learned that there's consequences for your actions." he kicks me again and again and again. I try to shield my stomach from him, but my efforts only cause him to start kicking me in the back. I feel my ribs crack under the force of his foot. I try to scream, but the air is knocked out of me.

I try to ask him to stop, but before I can he kicks me in the chest. It's more than I can take. My vision darkens and my body goes limp. I hear a thumping sound in the distance. Before I completely slip into unconsciousness, I realize that it's the sound of my father continuing to beat me.

* * *

Toby's POV

I take out my phone and look at the time. It's after seven. Spencer is over an hour late. I'm starting to get really worried. I consider calling her again, but I've already called her eight times and left five voicemails. I set my phone down on the table. I take a sip of my water and stare at the door of the restaurant, hoping she'll walk through it any second now. Spencer was supposed to meet me here at the Rosewood Grill. We were supposed to share a nice meal together, then I was going to take her to my loft and show her the progress I've made on remodeling it.

She was excited about it. She's been looking forward to tonight for over a week. She wouldn't just not show up. She would at least call me if something else had come up. I have a really bad feeling. Especially after this morning. I'm still not sure that Spencer is telling the truth about how she got that bruise. The thought of somebody hurting Spencer makes me sick.

I try to shake the negative thoughts from my head. Spencer's probably fine. She might have just forgotten. Maybe she's with her friends. I should call Emily and see if she know were Spencer is. I pick up my phone and dial her number.

"_Hello Toby_." says a bright, perky voice that definitely doesn't belong to Emily.

"Who is this?" I ask.

"_This is Hanna_." she says. I can practically hear her smile.

"Where's Emily?" I ask.

"_She's downstairs. So I just answered her phone for her. Do you need me to get her_?" says Hanna.

"No, that's ok." I tell her.

"_So what are you doing call Emily? I thought you and Spencer had a hot date tonight_." she says.

"That's why I'm calling." I say. "Spencer didn't show up and she won't answer her phone. I was wondering if she was with you guys." I say.

"_No, she isn't here_." her voice gets serious.

"Do you have any idea where she could be?" I ask.

"_Maybe she's with Aria. She went to her house after school. I guess she could still be there_." says Hanna. "_Do you want me to call Aria_?"

"No, that's ok. I'll call her." I say. "Thanks Hanna."

"_Call me back when you find her so I don't worry_." she says.

"I will." I tell her, then I end the call. I dial Aria's number right after.

"_Hello_." says Aria.

"Hey Aria, it's Toby." I say.

"_Hey Toby. Is everything ok_?" she asks. She can hear the worry in my voice.

"I was just wondering if you know where Spencer is. She was suppose to meet me at the grill over an hour ago." I tell her. "She won't answer her phone and I'm getting worried."

"_She didn't tell you_?" she says.

"Tell me what?" I ask.

"_Her dad came home today and took her out to a restaurant_." she says. "_I'm surprised she didn't tell you_." a sense of relief washes over me.

"So she's with her dad. She safe." I say.

"_I guess so_." says Aria. I can hear the strain in her voice.

"What is it Aria? What aren't you telling me?" I ask her.

"_It's nothing_." she says.

"You're lying." I say.

"_No…It's really nothing. I just have a bad feeling_." she says.

"Why?" I ask.

"_I don't know. It's just that when Spencer's dad picked her up, he was acting really weird. And Spencer got all tense when I asked her about it_." she says. "_I know it's probably nothing_."

"Maybe I'll stop by her house and make sure she's okay." I say.

"_I think that's a good idea_." says Aria.

"Aria, could you call Hanna and tell her what's going on." I ask her. "I called her and asked about Spencer. I told her I would call her back if I found out where she was, but I want to head right over to Spencer's."

"_Yeah, I'll call her_." she says.

"Thanks Aria, I better go." I say.

"_No problem_." says Aria. "_And Toby_."

"Yeah?" I say.

"_I'm sure she's fine_." she says.

"I hope so." I say, then put my phone away. I pay for my drink and leave the grill.

* * *

**I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Rin Shade **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the reviews! I don't own anything.**

* * *

Spencer's POV

"Spencer. Spencer can you hear me?" I hear a soft voice speaking to me. It's pulling me somewhere I don't want to go. Someplace bad. I want to stay where I am. I want to stay here in the darkness, where nothing can hurt me. I want to float in this sea of nothingness, surrounded forever by comforting silence.

But that voice. That damn voice won't leave me alone. It's grabbing me, dragging me from my darkness and into the unforgiving light. Exposing me to pain. I try to fight it, but nothing I do stops the voice from pulling back to hell. My body starts to burn. I start to feel everything. I can feel the cold tile floor beneath me, and the warm blood slipping from my body. I've never been in so much pain. I'm awake.

"Spencer?" says the voice. It sounds so familiar. "Open your eyes." says the voice.

"I can't." I whisper. I don't even recognize my own voice. It's sounds weak, raw, and broken.

"Why?" asks that voice.

"I'm afraid." I say.

"Your problems won't go away just because your eyes are closed." says the voice. "You need to open them Spencer. Open them now." I do what the voice says. I slowly open my eyes.

It's dark. How can it already be dark? How long have I been lying here? My eyes focus on a figurer leaning over me. My blurry vision becomes clear and I see the owner of the voice. It's Alison.

"Ali?" I say. "How can you be hear? You're dead."

"So I've heard." she says with a laugh.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I was worried about you." she said. "You've been asleep for a long time."

"I wasn't asleep. I was knocked out." I say.

"Same old Spencer. Always getting caught up on the details." says Alison.

"My dad beating me half to death isn't a detail." I say. My voice breaks and I start to cry. "I can't do this Ali. I need help. Take me with you."

"You can't come with me. You need to stay here." she says.

"I don't want to. I'm not strong enough." I say.

"You're stronger then you think you are." she says. "Aria, Hanna, and Emily survived losing me, but they can't make it without you. You have to protect them."

"I can't." I say. "I'm afraid that I'll tell someone about my dad, then A will kill them. I'm to weak to keep them safe."

"You can do it. Deep down you know that you can do it. You know that you'd never do anything that would put the girls in danger." she says. She's right. I would die before I let my friends get hurt. So what am I so worried about?

"Then what am I afraid of?" I ask.

"Losing yourself." she says. "You can already feel pieces of you being chipped away. But that's the price you'll have to pay to keep you friends safe. The question is, are you willing to pay it?"

"Yes." I say without hesitation. She smiles at me.

"Good. Because it's time to get up." say Ali.

"What?" I ask.

"You need to get up Spencer. You have hurry. You don't have much time." she says. I nod my head and try to get up. I try to sit up but my body scream in protest. My dislocated shoulder burns when I try to move and my broken ribs plead for me to stay still.

"I can't do it Ali. I need your help." I gasp. She doesn't answer. I look up. She's gone. I look around the dark room, but I'm by myself. Of course I'm by myself. I was hallucinating. She was never really here. Was she?

I hear a noise, but I can't tell were it's coming from. I start to panic. What if it's my dad? Will he beat me again if he sees me lying here? I don't want to find out. I move to get up again. I use my good arm to push myself up. I crawl over to chair and grab on to it. I slowly pull myself up. I finally make it to my feet, but I can't stand up straight because of the pain. But now what? Where should I go? I want to leave, but I can't. My dad would probably kill me if I left in the middle of the night. If I left now I could never come back, and that's not an option. I have to stay here and keep my friends safe. So I guess that leaves my room. Hopefully my dad will leave me alone.

I give myself a moment to catch my breathe, then I start to move. I carefully put one foot in front of the other. It takes all my concentration to keep my balance. It seems to take forever, but I eventually reach the stairs. I use the wall to support me and I start climbing the steps. I never thought walking up stairs could be so hard. My head is pounding and my body aches, but I keep moving.

I trip about half way up the stairs. I fall to my knees and cry out in pain. I try to get up again, but all my strength is gone. Suddenly I hear a loud pounding noise, and I jump. Someone's at the door.

My dad hears the knocking and comes out of his study. His eyes dart to the place on the floor where he left me. A look of panic spreads across his face when he sees a puddle of blood instead of me. I watch silently as he looks around the room, franticly searching for me. His eyes finally land on me. He starts to walk up to me, but the person at the door knocks again. He looks back at the door then back to me.

"Don't make one sound." he orders. Then he turns around and walks to the door. He opens the door.

"Hello Mr. Hastings. Is Spencer home." says Toby. My heart races when I hear his voice. All he would have to do is walk through the door and he would see me broken and bleeding on the stairs. He's not stupid. He would put two and two together. He would know that my dad did this to me. A said I couldn't tell anyone what happened. But it wouldn't be my fault if Toby found out on his own. A couldn't blame my for that. All Toby has to do is walk through that door and I'll be saved.

"Toby." says my dad. "What are you doing here so late."

"I was worried about Spencer. She hasn't been answering her phone, so I thought I'd stop by and check up on her." says Toby. Toby tries to push passed him, but my dad stops him.

"I'm sorry, but she can't talk right now." says my dad.

"Why not?" asks Toby.

"She's sick." says my dad.

"Well, what's wrong with her?" asks Toby.

"We went out to eat earlier and she started to get sick before we could even order our food." says my dad. "We came home and she went straight to bed."

"Can I go up and see her?" asks Toby.

"She needs her rest." says my dad. "Why don't you stop by tomorrow morning." it's not a request. My dad's not going to let him in.

"Alright." says Toby. My heart sinks. He's going to leave. He's not going to save me. It's not his fault though. He doesn't know how much I need him.

"Goodnight Toby." says my dad. Then he shuts the door. He wants for Toby to get I his car and leave, then he turns to me. He slowly walks up to where I've fallen on the stairs. He looks down at me. I cringe. I expect him to start kicking me again.

"Go clean yourself up and go to bed." he says. Then he starts to walk away.

"You're not going to hit me?" I can't help but to ask.

"Why would I do that." he says. "You did what I said. You stayed quiet. So there's no reason to punish you." then he leaves me alone, disappearing into his study.

So if I do exactly what he says, he won't beat me. I don't have the energy to think about how wrong that is. He told me to go to bed, and that's what I'm going to do. I slowly stand up and walk up the rest of the stairs. I limp to my room and collapse onto my bed. It's doesn't take me long to fall back into the soothing darkness.

* * *

**So what do you guys think? Is Ali alive or is it all in Spencer's head? What do you think is going to happen next? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. **

**-Rin Shade **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the great reviews. I don't own anything.**

* * *

_So if I do exactly what he says, he won't beat me. I don't have the energy to think about how wrong that is. He told me to go to bed, and that's what I'm going to do. I slowly stand up and walk up the rest of the stairs. I limp to my room and collapse onto my bed. It's doesn't take me long to fall back into the soothing darkness._

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Spencer's POV

I soft breeze brushes over my skin. It's a warm breeze, but it sends a chill down my spin. It makes me smile. It reminds me something good, but I can't pin down the memory. Vague images of rolling green hills and thoughts of laughter float through my mind. It makes me happy. The breeze continues to dance across my skin, slowly pulling me from my dreamy haze.

I slowly open my eyes. I almost expect to find myself lying the fresh green grass and gazing up at the clear blue sky. But instead my vision is filled with the dull sight of my room, and instead of grass, I'm lying on my disheveled bed. However, I still feel the breeze swirling around me. I look at my window. It's open, and the morning breeze is pushing its way through the screen. I must have forgotten to close it yesterday.

Sunlight pours through my window along with the breeze. I wonder what time it is? I'm usually up before sunrise. I thoughtlessly move to sit up, but my actions are stopped by an intense pain shooting though my body. I gasp and fall back down to the bed. Of course. How could I forget that I'm injured. I must not have been fully awake. But I am now, and I'm completely aware of my battered and aching body.

After a few minuets of lying perfectly still, the pain slowly ebbs. It's still there, but it's manageable. My injured body would prefer to stay motionless on my bed, but my mind won't let me keep still. I'm too worried that my dad will burst into my room at any moment and find a reason to beat me senseless. My heart races at the thought of it. I have no choice. I have to get up.

I move more carefully this time. I slowly pull myself up, using only my right arm. My left shoulder is still dislocated, rendering that arm absolutely useless. I slide off the side of my bed and stand on trembling legs. My whole body hurts, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe I'm just getting used to it.

I see something on my bed out of the corner of my eye. It's blood. The dried brownish stain is smeared all over my blankets and pillows. I nearly gag at the sight of it. I reach behind me and gently feel the back of my head. My hair is matted with dry blood and I can feel a wide gash that has barely managed to stop bleeding. I again have to swallow back the urge to vomit. I close my eyes for a moment and force myself to concentrate on what I have to do. I need to find out if my dad is home.

I open my eyes and walk to my window. I look out towards my driveway. I release a breathe I didn't realize I was holding. The only car parked in the driveway is mine. My dad isn't home. He must have went to work or something. But it really doesn't matter were he is as long as he isn't here. The surge of relief I feel makes me lightheaded, and I have to lean against the wall so I don't fall.

I rest there for a few moments while I figure out what I should do first. My mind goes back to my injures. I have a bad wound on my head that could use some stitches, but I can probably do with them. I also have some broken ribs, but if I wrap them they should be ok. Then there's my shoulder. I remember reading about how to put a dislocated shoulder back into place, but I doubt I can do it on myself. I'd have to pull down and out on my arm at the same time, and doing that with only one good arm would be more than difficult.

I could go to the hospital. But I wouldn't know how to explain all these injures. And I can't call anyone to help me. I only have two real options. Going to the hospital or taking care of it myself. If I go to the hospital the doctors might figure out how I got the injures, and A would make sure my friends paid the price. I can't risk that. So I only have one choice.

"Damn it." I curse under my breath. I have to put my own shoulder back into place. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to do it right, but I have to try. There's no way around it. I push back the thought of how painful it's going. It's better if I don't think about it to much. I look around my room for what I'll need.

I grab a scarf from my closet and walk back to my bed. I tie one end of the scarf around my bed post and the other around my left wrist. This is a bad idea. But it's the only way. I have to do it before I chicken out.

In one swift motion I use my entire body weight to pull back on the scarf and I use my right arm to push my left arm out. There's a loud sickening crunch and my shoulder explodes with pain. A hoarse scream rips from my throat and black dots cloud my vision. I collapse into a heap on the floor and fight to stay awake.

I focus on my breathing as I feel the pain in my shoulder quickly dissipate to a dull throb. I untie the scarf from my wrist and slowly try to move my arm. I can move. I did it. I can't believe I really did it! It hurts, but it's not that bad. I knew that most of the pain would leave once my shoulder was back in place, but I'm still surprised at how much better it feels. I put it down as a small victory.

My entire body is shaking and most of the pain I felt earlier has faded into the background because of the adrenaline pulsing through my veins. I know the rush from popping my shoulder back into place will fade soon, and the pain will return. So I decide to take advantage of my short burst of energy and clean myself up.

I get up off the floor and make my way to the bathroom. I enter the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I can already feel the pain starting to return. I dig through the medicine cabinet and pull out a bottle of aspirin. I pour a few of them into my hand and pop them in my mouth. I swallow them and then turn the shower on. I was eager to wash all the dried blood out of my hair. I carefully start to remove my clothes. It's not easy task. Even though my shoulder feels ten times better, it still hurts when I move to take my shirt off. Once I get my clothes off, I look in the mirror. I'm disgusted by what I see.

I didn't have any new bruises on my face, - my dad was smart enough not to injure me in such a noticeable place this time-, but the old ones are ugly and tinged yellow. There's splotches of dried blood on my face and some of my hair is sticking to it. My shoulder might feel better, but it looks awful. It's swollen and bruised. My chest, stomach, and ribs are covered in dark bruises as well. I turn and look at my back. It's swollen and bruised too. Tears start to flow down my face. How could that bastard do this to me.

I turn away from the mirror. I can't stand to look at myself for another second. I step into the shower. The water is too hot and it scalds my skin. But I don't mind. I want it to burn away the stench of blood and the haunting memories. I sink to the floor of the shower and I let the water beat against my aching body.

* * *

Toby's POV

I couldn't sleep last night. I was too worried about Spencer. Her dad said that she was safe. I have no reason not to believe him. But I just can't shake this feeling that something was very wrong. I stayed up all night looking at my phone, hoping she would call. But she never did. Time seemed to creep by slowly as I waited for morning to come so I could see her.

I wanted to leave right when the sun came up, but I knew that would be too early. Spencer's dad would still be there, and I didn't feel dealing with him. So I decided I would go to her house the same time I do every morning at around seven. Spencer's dad should be gone by then, and Spencer will probably be awake.

I get in my truck at about six fifty-five, and arrive at Spencer's house at exactly seven. Her dad's car is gone. Good. I never really liked her dad, and last night there was something off about him. I'm glad I won't have to talk to him this morning.

I'm about to get out of my truck when my phone rings. It Aria. She's probably wondering if I've seen Spencer yet.

"Hello." I answer the phone.

"_Hey Toby, it's Aria._" she says.

"Hey Aria. Is everything ok?" I ask.

"_Yeah, everything's fine_." she says. "_I was just wondering if you've talked to Spencer this morning_."

"No, not yet. I just pulled up into her driveway." I say.

"_Oh_." she says. I can hear an edge in her voice.

"I'm sure she's fine Aria." I say.

"_Yeah, of course she is_." she says. "_It's just I tried calling her this morning and her phone went straight to voicemail, and she always has her phone on and she always charges it at night, she never forgets, so it shouldn't be dead, and I just can't think of a reason why it would go to voicemail, and I can't help but feel_…"

"Aria!" I have to yell to get her attention.

"_I was rambling wasn't I_." she says.

"A little." I say.

"_Sorry_." she says. "_I'm just_…"

"I know." I say. I her sigh in frustration. "Listen Aria, everything is going to be ok. I'm at her house and I'll call you as soon as I know anything. In fact, I'll have Spencer call you."

"_Thanks Toby_." she whispers.

"No problem." I say. "I'll call you in a few minutes."

"_Okay, bye_." she says.

"Bye." I say, then I end the call.

I get out of my truck and walk to the door. I open it and walk right in like I do every morning. The house is quiet and there's a ominous atmosphere hanging heavily in the air.

"Spencer?" I call out. She doesn't answer. I walk deeper into the house. Something on the kitchen floor catches my eye. There's several dark smudges on the tile. It looks like somebody spilled something and did a poor job of cleaning it up. I hear a noise coming from upstairs.

"Spence." I call out again, but there's still no response. I make my way to the stairs and start to climb them. But another stain catches my eye. There's a few dark spots staining the carpet halfway up the stairs, and there's some smeared on the wall too. I lean in close to get a better look at it. Suddenly my eye go wide and I jump back from the stain. It's blood. The smudge on the kitchen floor must be blood too!

"Spencer!" I yell. I can feel myself panicking. I run up the stairs to her bedroom. "Spencer!" I scream as I push open her door and stumble into her room.

My heart seizes in my chest, my body goes numb, and tears start to pool in my eyes as I take in the horrific scene in my girlfriends room.

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**Hope you guys liked the chapter! What do you think is going to happen? PLEASE REIVIEW!**

**-Rin Shade **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the reviews you guys! I love that you are enjoying the story. I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_Spencer!" I yell. I can feel myself panicking. I run up the stairs to her bedroom. "Spencer!" I scream as I push open her door and stumble into her room. _

_My heart seizes in my chest, my body goes numb, and tears start to pool in my eyes as I take in the horrific scene in my girlfriends room._

* * *

Toby's POV

Blood. There's blood everywhere. There's bloody hand prints all along her wall leading to her bed. The state of her bed makes me think that there was a struggle. Spencer's bed is usually perfectly made, and is even neat while she's sleeping in it. But the sight before me is anything but perfect. The sheets, blankets, and pillows are tangled together and are covered in blood.

I stand there in the doorway, unsure of what I should do. My mind races to the worst scenarios. Images of Spencer's lifeless body laying somewhere invade my thoughts. I quickly push them away. I can't go there. I won't. The blood spread throughout the room might not even belong to Spencer.

I don't need to travel deeper into the room to know that it's empty. Spencer isn't in there. I can feel it. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm glad I didn't find her sitting in the middle of all that gore, but if she's not here than where is she?

I snap myself out of my shock and start moving again. I quickly pull out my phone to call for help. I go to dial 911, but something stops me. I'm not sure if I want to involve the police. They were never any help in the past. I have no idea what happened here. Calling the police might hurt Spencer instead of help her. But I need to call someone.

I hit the send button and my phone calls the last person I talked to. I rake my hand through my hair and pace back and forth, waiting for my call to be answered.

"_Hello_." says Aria.

"Aria something bad happened." my voice shakes with emotion.

"_What do you mean, something bad. Is Spencer ok_?" she asks.

"I don't know. I haven't found her yet." I say. "I'm in her room and there's blood everywhere. It's all over her bed."

"_What_!" I can hear the panic in Aria's voice. "_Blood? Is it Spencer's blood? Is She ok_?" I leave Spencer's room and start searching the rest of the house.

"I don't know. I'm still looking for her." I say. I try to keep myself calm as I run though the house checking rooms, but it's almost impossible. The panic that pulses in my body at the thought of loosing Spencer is overwhelming. I need to find her. I need to make sure she's okay. She has to be okay.

"Spencer!" I shout. "Spencer where are you. Damn, this is all my fault! I should have been here. I should have made sure she was alright last night."

"_Have you called the police_?" cries Aria. I had almost forgotten that I was on the phone with her.

"No." I say as I search another room. "I don't think it's a good idea to involve the police until we know what happened."

"_But Spencer could be hurt_!" she say. "_She might need an ambulance_."

"We don't know what's going on here. And non of you girls are on good terms with the cops." I say. "Spencer could be fine and she might get into a lot of trouble if we call the police. Besides, I'm going to find her. I don't need the cops to do that."

"I'm coming over there to help you." says Aria, but I don't really hear her. I'm distracted by a noise I just heard. I think it's coming from the bathroom.

"_Toby, are you there_?" asks Aria.

"I have to go Aria." I say.

"_No! wait Toby I_…." she tries to stop me but I'm to focused on finding Spencer to care. I end the call and return the phone to my pocket.

I walk towards the closed bathroom door. When I get closer I realize that the noise I hear is running water. I reach the door, and without thinking, I grab the handle and rush into the bathroom. As soon as I'm inside, I'm met with an ear shattering scream.

* * *

Spencer's POV

I lean against the wall and let the hot water pour over my body. I should have gotten out of the shower a long time ago, but it seems to be alleviating my pain so I'm reluctant to leave. But it's not just the pain. In fact, the pain isn't so bad. I can handle the pain. The real reason is that I almost feel safe in the shower. The rhythm of the water beating against me has lulled me into false sense of security. I know I'm not actually safe standing here in the shower, but I just don't have the will to get out and face the world.

Suddenly, I hear a noise. I turn my head to look at the bathroom door, but I can't see anything through all the steam form the hot water. I listen intently and I hear the noise again. It sounds like a voice. I'm almost certain that it is. But I don't have much time to think about it.

The bathroom door swings open and someone rushes inside. I'm too surprised to stop a loud scream form exiting my mouth. I can't tell who it is. The steam blocks me from seeing anything but a blurry figure. I back up as far as I can into the corner of the shower. _What if it's my dad?_ I think to myself. A wave of fear washes over me, and feel like I might throw up.

"Spencer?" the panicked voice of my boyfriend reaches my ears.

"Toby?" I say. A small sob escapes pass my lips as my body is flooded with relief.

"Spencer! Thank god. Are you okay?" he asks.

"Damn it Toby, you scared me to death." I cry, but I can't help but smile. I'm so glad he's here.

"I'm sorry, I was just so worried." he says. He starts come closer to the shower, and I suddenly remember that I'm naked.

I feel deep blush spread across my face. Toby might be my boyfriend, but he still hasn't seen me without my clothes on. And right now, the only thing keeping him from seeing me completely naked is the steam clouding the bathroom. And it's quickly dissipating now that the door is wide open. Then I realize something awful.

If Toby sees me without clothes on, he'll see all the terrible bruises that cover my body. The thought of Toby seeing me like this is horrifying. What would he think? He would probably be absolutely repulsed. I can't let this be the first time Toby sees me naked.

"Toby Stop!" I say. I try not to let my panic bleed into my voice. "Don't come any closer."

"Why? What's wrong?" he asks.

"I'm naked." I say, stating the obvious.

"Oh. Yeah, sorry….I just….sorry. Should I…." he stumbles over words and tries to figure out what he should do next.

"Can you hand me my robe?" I ask urgently. The steam is clearing and the state of my body will be revealed very soon.

"Of course!" he says. He grabs my robe off the counter and brings it to me. I crack open the shower door and take the robe from him. I quickly put it on. The movement hurts my injured body, but I try to ignore it. Once have to robe on I make sure that it's covering all of the bruises. It seem to be hiding them all. Except for the bruises on my face, but Toby has already seen those. I just hope he still believes the lie I told him about how I got them.

I take a deep breath and step out of the shower. Toby's eyes light up as soon as he sees me. He quickly walks up to me and wraps me in a hug. Normally I love to hug Toby, but right now it hurts to badly for me to enjoy it. It takes everything I have not to cry out in pain as he pulls me tightly to his chest. Tears start to steam down my face. I wish I could tell him I'm in pain, but he can't know that I'm injured.

"Spencer, what's wrong?" he asks. He releases me from the hug and gently wipes the tears from my face with his thumb.

"Nothing." I say. "You just startled me. I didn't realize it was you at first."

"I'm so sorry for busting in here like that, but I wasn't thinking straight. I thought you were hurt." says Toby. His eyes are still wild with worry.

"Why would you think I was hurt?" I ask. How does he know that I'm injured?

"Your room." he says. "I went inside and there's blood everywhere. I thought something terrible happened to you." my eyes go wide. Damn it. I'm so stupid. I forgot to clean up the blood in my room. How the hell am I going to explain this. Maybe I can deny knowing anything about it.

I see something out of the corner of my eye. I look to the bathroom floor where my old bloody clothes are piled. My eyes only dart over there for a second, but Toby sees it. He follows my gaze to the dirty clothes.

"Spencer, is that your blood?" he asks. His voice is laced with worry. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I have no idea what to say.

"Spencer. Tell me what's going on. I can help you." he says desperately.

"Toby I…." I'm interrupted by a loud scream coming from my room.

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**Hope you liked the chapter. What do you think will happen next? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW and tell me your thoughts.**

**- Rin Shade **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all the great reviews. I'm glad to see that you guys are enjoying the story. I don't own anything.**

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"_Spencer, is that your blood?" he asks. His voice is laced with worry. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I have no idea what to say._

"_Spencer. Tell me what's going on. I can help you." he says desperately._

"_Toby I…." I'm interrupted by a loud scream coming from my room._

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Spencer's POV

I know that scream. It's Aria. What is Aria doing here, and why did she scream? Is it because she saw my room, or could it be something worse. What if it's my dad? What if he came home and found Aria in the house? Would he really hurt her? I'm probably just being paranoid, but I can't help imagining my rage filled father attacking my best friend and breaking her tiny body.

Just thinking about it causes tears to spill from my eyes. I have to protect her. I turn and run towards the bathroom door, but Toby jumps in front of me before I can reach the hallway.

"Move Toby!" I yell.

"No, you're staying right here while I check it out." he says.

"It's Aria!" I say. "I have to make sure she's ok."

"I'll go and make sure she's safe, but you have to stay here." says Toby.

"No I'm going." I say.

"Spencer please." he says. "Just stay here. Do it for me. I'll come back and get you as soon I make sure that it's safe. But please Spencer, please stay here for now. I need to keep you safe." I want to continue arguing with him, but his pleading eyes and the desperate look on his face stops me. It takes all the fight out of me.

"Fine." I say. "Just hurry. And be safe." he nods his head and leaves. I hope everything's ok. I hope Aria isn't hurt. I know she's probably fine. She probably just freaked out when she saw all the blood. I know I would have. But there's still that lingering thought that something horrible happened.

Damn it, I can't sit here any longer. I can't wait for Toby. I need to find out what happened right now. I go to leave the bathroom, but something stops me. It's the familiar sound of my phone alerting me that I've just received a text. I turn and see my phone sitting on the bathroom counter.

How the hell did it get there? I don't remember putting it there, and it wasn't there when I got into the shower. Maybe Toby brought it in here. But why would he? I'm sure I left my phone in my purse. He wouldn't just search through my purse and take my phone. But then who would? Maybe it was…. No. That can't be it. I would have noticed if someone besides Toby came into the bathroom. Especially if it was A.

I cautiously walk up to my phone and pick it up off the counter. I take a deep breath and open the text.

**You should really learn to clean your room Spencer. If you tell anyone the truth about what your daddy did, I'll kill your friends. And your little boyfriend too. -A**

I lose control of my emotions. Tears spill down my face. I put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. I go from being shocked, to scared, to furious in a matter of seconds. My friends. Toby. They're my family. I can't live without them. I could strangle A for threatening their lives. I will never let that bitch hurt them. I don't care what I have to do to save them. Even of it means taking this secret to my grave.

But how am I going to do that? It was hard enough to keep this secret before. And now that Toby, and probably Aria, has discovered my blood covered room, it seems almost impossible.

How am I suppose to explain it? What lie could I possibly tell? What do you say when you're caught with a blood covered room? If I says that the blood isn't mine, then they're going to wonder who it belongs to. If I manage to convince them that it's not my blood, then they'll want to know how I managed to get my room and clothes drenched in someone else's blood. No matter how hard I think, I can't find a way out of this situation.

"Spencer." says Toby. I was so deep in thought I didn't hear him walk up behind me. I quickly slip my phone into the pocket of my robe and then I turn to face him.

"Is Aria ok?" I say, my voice shaking violently.

"Are you ok?" he ask. He walks up to me and wipes a tear from my face. I push his hand away and take a step back. I need to be strong right now. And as much as I want Toby to comfort me, I'll crumble if I let him.

"I'm fine." I say. "How's Aria?" I can see the hurt in Toby's eyes and it breaks my heart. It takes all my strength not throw myself into his embrace and make the hurt leave his face.

"She's fine." he says. "They're all fine."

"They?" I ask. "Who else is here?"

"Emily and Hanna. Aria called them and they came here together." he says. "They're all fine, just a little shaken up after seeing your room." I look down at the floor. "They'd like some answers. And so would I."

I stand there and stare at the floor in shame. I don't know what to say. I don't know what lie I should tell. I hate that I have to lie to the people I care about, but it's for their own good. I just have to remember that.

"Spencer. Say something." says Toby. "You have to say something! Tell me why the hell there's blood all over your room and clothes. Does it have to do with how you really got that bruise on your face?" I lift my head up and look at him. So he didn't believe my lie about the bruise.

"I told you how I got the bruise." I say. "You don't believe me?"

"I'm not sure what to believe right now." he says.

"You're suppose to trust me Toby!" I yell. Even though I'm lying to him, it hurts that he doesn't believe me.

"You're the one who doesn't trust me!" he says.

"I do trust you." I say.

"Then why won't you tell me what happened!" he yells. I try to come up with a good excuse, but I don't have one. So instead of saying anything, I step around him and walk out of the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" asks Toby.

"To check on the girls." I say. After a second I hear Toby following me. I try to walk normally to hide the fact that I'm injured, but it's difficult. It hurts to stand up straight, let alone walk. But I somehow manage to do it.

We finally make it to my room. As soon as I step inside I'm tackled be three hysterical girls. I small scream escapes my lips when they wrap their arms around my broken ribs, but I act like I was just surprised.

"Oh my god Spencer, we were so worried." says Emily.

"I'm so glad you're ok." says Aria. There's tears in her eyes. I feel guilty for making her cry. "When Toby called and told me about the blood I didn't know what to think. And when I came here and saw it for myself I…. I thought you were dead." Aria breaks down into a fit of sobs. I gently rub her back and try to get her to clam down.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm just glad you're alive." says Aria.

"Are you hurt?" asks Hanna. I look at her. Her eyes are scanning over my body. I hope the robe is covering my injures.

"No, I'm fine." I say quickly. I hug the robe closer to my body.

"Then what happened?" asks Aria. "If you're not hurt, then where did all this blood come from." they all stare at me and wait for my answer.

"I….I um….I'm not sure." I say. It's the most pathetic lie I ever told.

"How can you not be sure?" asks Toby.

"I don't know." I say.

"It's all over your room, it's on your clothes." yells Toby. I can tell he's just worried, but his outburst makes me think of my dad and I cringe away from him.

"Toby, maybe you should take it easy." says Emily.

"I can't take it easy." he yells. "Clearly something bad happened here and she won't us." he turns to me again. "Why won't you tell me?" he yells.

"I can't." I say.

"Why not?!" he asks.

"Because I don't remember!" I scream.

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**I really hope you guys liked the chapter. Do you think the girls and Toby will believe Spencer about not remembering? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW, and tell me what you think. I love the feedback.**

-**Rin Shade **


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for not updating this sooner, I was having some technical difficulties. I loved all the reviews! You guys are great. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_Toby, maybe you should take it easy." says Emily._

"_I can't take it easy." he yells. "Clearly something bad happened here and she won't us." he turns to me again. "Why won't you tell me?" he yells._

"_I can't." I say._

"_Why not?!" he asks._

"_Because I don't remember!" I scream. _

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Spencer's POV

I know saying that I don't remember is a weak lie, but it was the only thing I could think of. I couldn't come up with a lie that would explain a blood stained room and clothes without getting myself or someone else in serious trouble. I realize that pretending to not know how that blood got there will leave my friends imagining the worst. They might even assume I did something terrible, but I don't care as long as they're safe. Now I just have to hope that they believe me.

The room is silent. The girls and Toby all stare at me with wide eyes. I can't meat there gaze, so I look down at the floor and wait for someone to say something. Toby is the first to finally break the silence.

"What do you mean you don't remember?" he asks, his voice much calmer now.

"I mean I don't remember." I say. "I have no idea how the blood got here."

"I don't understand." says Hanna. "How can you not remember?"

"I don't know?" I say. Damn, my head is killing me.

"So you don't remember anything?" asks Emily.

"What part of _I can't remember _don't you understand!" I snap. Emily's eyes fill with hurt, and I instantly feel horrible. "I'm sorry Em." I say. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I'm just kind of stressed out, but I know that's no excuse to treat you like that."

"It's ok Spencer. I'm just really worried about you." she says. I sigh and rub my head to try and push some of the pain and frustration away. I'm starting to feel a little light head. I want to sit down, but I can't bring myself to touch my blood covered bed.

"Are you ok?" asks Toby as I begin to sway slightly.

"Yeah I'm fine." I say.

"No you're not." says Aria. "You look like you're about to pass out." I glace at my mirror and see my reflection. Aria's right. Besides the bruise, all the color has drained form my face.

"It's just this room." I say. "All the blood is making me feel sick." the sight of blood has never bothered me, but everyone seems to buy my lie. Hanna even starts getting pale, like she had forgotten that we were surrounded by blood.

"Spencer's right." says Hanna. "Why are we still hanging out in this death room."

"Hanna!" says Aria.

"What?" says Hanna. Aria just shakes her head.

"Why don't we move this conversation down to the living room." says Toby.

"Good idea." says Emily.

"I'm just going to grab some clothes." I say. I could really use a minute alone, and I would like to put something on that will cover my injures better.

"I'll stay with you." says Toby. There goes my minute alone. "We'll meet you downstairs." he says. The girls take the hint and leave us alone. Toby turns and looks at me. I think he's going to bombard me with questions, but he doesn't. Instead he takes my hand and gently leads me to my closet.

"Let's find you something to wear." he says. He opens my closet and then steps out of my way. I glace up at him and he smiles at me. I can tell that there's something he wants to say, but when his silence continues I decide to turn my attention to my clothes.

I don't really plan on going to school today. I don't think my body or mind could handle it. So I grab a long sleeve grey shirt and some black workout pants.

"I'm going to change in the bathroom." I say. Toby nods his head and leads the way back down the hall to the bathroom. I walk inside and close the door. I take a deep breath and lean against the wall.

I hate lying to my friends. Even when it's for their own protection, I still feel like I'm stabbing them in the back. I want break down and start sobbing. But I can hear Toby standing out in the hall guarding the bathroom, so if I start crying I know he'll be able to hear me as well. And I don't need him rushing in here trying save me again.

I slowly push myself away from the wall and wipe away a few tears that had managed to escape. I've been crying so much lately. I rarely ever cry. It was always viewed as a sign of weakness in my family. And that's exactly how I feel. I'm weak.

"Are you okay in there Spencer?" Toby asks me through the door. His voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I realize that I forgot that I was suppose to be changing my clothes.

"I'm fine." I say. "I just need another minute."

"Okay" he says. I take off my robe and toss it on the ground. I notice that there's a little bit of blood on the collar of the rode. I reach and feel the back of my head. It's bleeding again. That's probably why I'm feeling light headed.

"Damn it." I say under my breath. I grab a washcloth and press it against the back of my head. I wince as I apply more pressure. When I pull the washcloth away, I see that there's hardly any blood on it. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that it has already stopped bleeding. I take the washcloth and use it to wipe away the blood that had trickled down my neck. I make sure that I get all the blood cleaned up, and then I start getting dressed.

Pain pulses through my broken ribs and injured shoulder as I work at getting the shirt on. I bite back a scream as I slowly slip it over my head and put my arms through the sleeves. I grab my pants and quickly slip them on. It was a lot less difficult than the shirt.

Once I'm dressed, I look myself over in the mirror to make sure I've properly covered all the bruises. My clothes seem to hide them well enough. I look around the bathroom to see if there's anything else I need to do. Anything that might delay me form having to go downstairs and face the multiple questions my friends have for me. But there's nothing left for me to do in here.

I sigh and turn towards the bathroom door. I have no other option but to go out and face them. I grab the handle and open the bathroom door. Toby's standing there with his hands in his pockets. He looks amazing. With all the chaos this morning, I didn't get the chance to admire my gorgeous boyfriend. His good looks and the endless love he shows me never fails to take my breath away. Just the sight of him gives me the strength I need to keep the secret and keep him safe.

"Sorry for taking so long." I say.

"It's okay." he says.

"We better head downstairs." I say. He nods his head in agreement and we start walking towards the staircase.

"Wait a second Spencer." he say. I pause and look up at him. "There's something I want to say before we go down there."

"What is it?" I ask.

"I just….I wanted to apologize." he says. A puzzled look spreads over my face.

"For what?" I ask.

"For earlier." he says. "For yelling. I should have never done that. You were already upset, and I was just making things worse. I was just scared that something bad happened to you, and I don't now what came over me."

"Don't apologize for being worried about me." I say. "In fact, I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong." he says. I look down in shame. If only he knew that I was lying to him and everyone I cared about. He would be so angry at me for not telling him what really happened.

"We should really get downstairs." I say. Toby looks like he's about to argue, but instead he just sighs.

"Ok Spencer. Lets go." he says. We walk down the stairs in silence.

We enter the living room where we find the three girls waiting nervously. They look up at us and smile, though it doesn't reach their eyes. I sit down next to Aria on the couch, and Toby sits in a chair next to me. There's a few seconds of awkward silence, but Hanna, of course, quickly ends it.

"So how do you think all that blood got there Spence?" she say.

"Really Hanna!" says Emily.

"What? It's not like I'm the only one who wanted to ask her." says Hanna.

"It's ok Hanna." I say. "It's a perfectly reasonable question." I sigh and rest my head in my hands.

"Why don't you start from the beginning." says Aria. "Just tell us everything that you _do_ remember." I look up at my friends. I really don't deserve them. They're all so worried about me. They care so much and would do anything for me. And how am I going to repay them? By lying to them. I might lose their friendship over this, but at least they'll be alive.

"After I followed my dad home he took me out to a restaurant." I say. I have to make sure to stick with the lies my dad told Aria and Toby. "But as soon as we got to the restaurant, I started feeling sick and my dad took me home. I didn't even have the energy to change when we got home. I just went straight to my room and went to bed."

"And that's all you remember?" asks Toby.

"The next thing I remember is waking up and finding myself and my room covered in blood." I say.

"Why didn't you call someone for help?" asks Toby.

"I don't know." I say. "I just freaked out. And all I could think about was washing the blood off of me, so I jumped into the shower."

"So where the hell did the blood come from?" asks Hanna.

"I wish I knew." I said.

"Do you think somebody got hurt?" asks Aria.

"Maybe." I mumble.

"Or maybe the blood was planted there." says Emily. Hanna, Aria, and I all know Emily is talking about A.

"Who would do that?" says Toby. I throw a quick glare at all the girls, warning them not to tell Toby about A's return.

"I don't know." says Emily. "It was just a guess." I can tell that Toby isn't fully convinced that she's telling the truth, but he decides to let it go.

"How else could there blood have gotten there?" says Aria. Everyone shares nervous glances. They're all thinking the same thing, but non of them wants to say it out loud.

"I know what you want to ask me." I say.

"What are you talking about?" says Hanna.

"You guys are considering the possibility that I had something to do with it." I say. "That maybe I did something terrible, like hurt somebody, and I just don't remember doing it."

"We don't think you did something terrible." says Aria.

"Of course we don't think that Spencer." says Toby. "We know you aren't capable of hurting someone." Emily and Hanna nod in agreement.

"I don't see why not." I say. "I've done plenty of other terrible things."

"We've all done terrible things Spencer." says Aria. She places a comforting hand on my back. "But you didn't hurt anyone. Trust me." I smile at her.

"So now what?" asks Hanna.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, what do we do next?" she asks. "Do we call someone? Do we go to the police."

"No!" I shout. Everyone looks at me, a little surprised by my outburst. "No police. At least not until we now what happened."

"Spencer's right. We shouldn't involve the police yet." says Toby.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" asks Aria. "They might be able to help."

"Or they might throw Spencer in jail." says Hanna.

"Why do you think I'd go to jail?" I ask her.

"Well if Emily is right about the blood being planted there, then it might connect you some sort of crime." she says.

"Good point." I say.

"So no police?" asks Aria.

"No police." says Toby.

"How are we going to figure out what happened without the cops?" asks Emily.

"I don't know." I say, feeling awful for lying so much.

"So what now. Do we just go on with our day like nothing happened?" says Hanna.

"What else is there to do?" I ask. "You guys should just go to school and act normal."

"No way! We're not leaving you." says Aria.

"I have to stay here and clean up the blood before my parents get home." I say.

"Then we'll stay and help you." says Aria. I'm about to tell her no when Emily speaks up.

"Toby, could you get me a glass of water?" she asks. Toby hesitates a moment at her random request.

"Um, sure Emily. I'll be right back." he gets up and leaves the room.

"What was that about?" I ask.

"I needed him to leave so I could say something." says Emily.

"I assume it's A related." I say, and she nods her head.

"Don't you guys think it's a little weird that Spencer and I both have a night we can't remember?" says Emily.

"What are you thinking?" asks Hanna.

"I'm thinking that maybe the reason I can't remember has nothing to do with how much I drank." says Emily. "Maybe I was drugged, and maybe Spencer was drugged last night too."

"So you think that A drugged you and then she drugged Spencer?" asks Aria.

"It kind of makes sense." says Emily. "What do you think Spencer?" I'm not sure what to say. I hate giving the girls false clues about A, but if I don't go along with this they might see through my lies.

"I guess it's possible." I say. Right then Toby walks back in with a glass of water.

"Here you go Emily." he say.

"Thanks." she says, and takes the water form him.

"So have you decided what you're going to do?" he asks the girls.

"We're staying here with Spencer." says Aria.

"No, you guys are going to school." I say. "I can take care of this myself."

"We know you can." says Toby. "But we're staying here anyway." he reached over and kisses me softly on my forehead, and he gently rests his hand on the back of my head. Toby leans away from me and his hand brushes against my cheek, leaving a trail of something wet on my face.

Toby's eyes go wide as he looks at me. Then he glances down at his and so do I. My breath catches in my throat when I see that his hand is dripping with blood.

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**-Rin Shade **


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for all your great reviews. I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. I don't own anything. If I did, there would be tons more Spoby moments. **

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_Toby's eyes go wide as he looks at me. Then he glances down at his and so do I. My breath catches in my throat when I see that his hand is dripping with blood._

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Spencer's POV

It takes me a second to realize that it's my blood on Toby's hand. My hand flies to the back off my head. My hair is soaked with blood. The large gash has opened up again, and is bleeding furiously.

"Oh shit!" yells Toby. He jumps up looks at the back of my head. Hanna, Aria, and Emily are at my side in an instant.

"How did this happen?" asks Toby. He doesn't give me a chance to answer. Instead, he turn to the girls and starts barking out orders. "Someone get a first aid kit, some towels, and water." the three girls are too shocked to argue, and they all rush off in different directions to get the items Toby asked for.

"Spencer, why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" he asks. He grabs a blanket off the back of the couch, and presses it against the back of my head. A small cry escapes passed my lips as he applies more pressure.

"I didn't realize it." I say.

"Stop lying Spencer." he says.

"Why do you always assume that I'm lying?" I snap. I can feel my anger building up. Why does he have to be so difficult? Why does he have to make it so hard to keep him safe. How can I protect him when he doesn't believe me?

"I'm not assuming anything! I know you're lying." he says. "You had to have known you were injured. There's no way you didn't feel this. An injury like this causes a lot of pain."

"Toby. Please just let this go." I beg. My voice is raw with emotion.

"How could you even ask me that?" he says. "You're practically bleeding death and you want me to just _let it go_. Don't you know how much I care about you? I love you too much to let this go." he leans down and looks me in the eye. He gently grabs one of my hands and squeezes it. "Please Spencer. Tell me the truth. Let me help you." he whispers.

"I can't." I say. Tears start to roll down my face.

"Don't you trust me?" he asks with hurt in his eyes.

"More than anyone." I say.

"Then why can't you tell me?" he asks. _Because I love you, and I need to keep you safe. Because I would rather die than let anything happen to you._ That's what I want to tell him, but I can't. Saying that would be as dangerous as telling the truth. So I decide not to say anything.

I pull my hand away from his and shift my gaze to the floor. I let my hair cover my face so he doesn't see my tears. I know my silence is hurting him. I can almost hear his heart breaking. But I guess this is the price of saving his life.

"I got the first aid kit." say Emily. She walks into the living room holding a small white box. Aria and Hanna walk in right after her carrying the other things Toby requested.

"Hand me one of those towels." says Toby. Aria gives him a towel. Then he takes the bowl of water from Hanna. He dips the towel in the water, then he starts cleaning blood off my head. The girls huddle around me with worried expressions.

"Emily. Can you the towel against her head while I get what I need out of the first aid kit." asks Toby.

"Of course." she says. She walk behind me and gasps when she sees my injury. "This looks really bad." she say. "Maybe we should take her to the Hospital."

"No." I say without looking up. "I don't want to go to the hospital." Aria kneels down in front of me and rests her hand on my knees. She tilts my head up so she can look me in the eye. Her eyes widen when she sees my tear streaked face. My friends have rarely seen me cry, so it comes as a surprise to her.

"Spencer, why don't you want to go to the hospital?" asks Aria. She gently wipes my tears away with her sleeve.

"I can't." I say.

"Why not?" she asks. I look down again and I continue to cry.

"I just can't ." I say. Hanna sits down next to me and rubs my shoulder.

"You're hurt really bad Spencer." says Hanna. "You might not have a choice." I look up at my friends. I can tell that they're terrified. They want to make sure that I'm going to be okay. But I can't go to the hospital. The doctors will see my other injuries. They'll know what happened to me. Then A will punish the people I love.

I look over at Toby. He's digging through the First aid kit. He feels me staring at him, and looks up. Our eyes lock. His are full of worry and anger, mine are filled with lies.

"Please." I say without looking away from him. "Don't make me go." he looks down for a moment then back up at me.

"I won't make you go if you don't want to." he says. "But if you don't go to the hospital, then I'll have to patch you up. And I won't do it nearly as good as a doctor would."

"That's okay." I say. He nods his head and starts to work on my injury. We all fall into an awkward silence as Toby works on my head. He puts something in the cut that causes pain to shoot through my entire head. I jerk my head away from him and gasp.

"Sorry." he says. "I'm almost done. Just hold still." he continues his work, and a few minuets later he's done.

"Okay. That should do it." he says. He closes the first aid kit and sits down by me.

"Thanks." I mumble. He smiles, but there's no happiness in it. And now that I'm no longer bleeding, the girls start asking questions.

"How did you get hurt Spencer?" asks Emily.

"I don't remember." I say.

"Why didn't you tell us you were hurt?" asks Hanna. "You had to have know you had a huge bleeding whole on the back of your head."

"I really didn't know." I say. Aria looks closely at me. Aria and I are best friends. We're closer to each other than we are to the other girls. We spend so much time together. And we can almost always tell when the other one is lying.

"You're lying." says Aria. "You've been lying to us this whole time." it would be pointless to argue with her. "Someone hurt you. Someone did this to you, and you know exactly who it is." she says. I start to panic. They can't find out. Their lives depend on it. My body starts to shake.

"Is it true Spencer?" asks Toby. "Did someone hurt you?'

"No one hurt me." I say.

"When has lying ever done you any good?" says Toby. My hands curl into fists. I cant take this anymore. I can't take their questions or their accusations. Can't they see I'm doing this for them? It's hard enough to lie about a secret you want to keep, but it's close to impossible when it's a secret you can't bear to have. If they stay here any longer I'm going to break.

"Leave." I say.

"What did you say?" asks Aria.

"I said leave. I want all of you to leave." I whisper.

"Spencer we're not just…." I cut Aria off by standing abruptly.

"I want you to leave! Get out of my house! I don't want any of you here." I scream.

"Calm down Spencer." says Toby.

"Stop telling me what to do." I shout. I start backing away from them. The stress that I've been under is beginning to take it's toll, and I can feel my mind starting to crumble.

"We're your friends Spencer. We're just trying to help you." says Hanna.

"If you were my real friends, then you wouldn't be accusing me of lying. You would believe me and stop questioning every single thing I say. You would trust me" I yell. "If you were really my friends, you would see that this whole thing is killing me right now. You would consider that maybe I'm not lying, but that I'm just scared out of my mind because I can't remember what the fuck happened to me. You would see that I just need one second to breathe without someone asking me questions that I can't answer."

My knees buckle and I fall to the floor. My injured body is no longer able to support my weight. I've spent all my energy trying to convince them that I'm telling the truth. If they still don't believe me I could lose them forever. Just the thought of losing Toby and my three best friends makes me cry. I start sobbing loudly and my entire body shakes as I try to breathe. I feel someone pick me up from the floor and gently put me in their lap. I don't open my eyes to see who it is. I just keep crying.

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**Did you guys like the chapter? What do you think is going to happen next? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW, and tell me what you think.**

**- Rin Shade **


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the wait. My internet connection has been freaking out on me. Over 100 reviews! I'm so happy. Thank you all for supporting my story and leaving reviews. You guys are really great. And a special shout out to **iAmALittleLiar**, for the reading my story before watching the show. It's the best compliment ever. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. I don't own anything.**

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_My knees buckle and I fall to the floor. My injured body is no longer able to support my weight. I've spent all my energy trying to convince them that I'm telling the truth. If they still don't believe me I could lose them forever. Just the thought of losing Toby and my three best friends makes me cry. I start sobbing loudly and my entire body shakes as I try to breathe. I feel someone pick me up from the floor and gently put me in their lap. I don't open my eyes to see who it is. I just keep crying._

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Toby's POV

Spencer falls to the floor and starts to crying. I rush over to her. I sit down on the floor and pull her onto my lap. She keeps her eyes closed and continues to sob. Her body shutters and her breathing becomes fast and ragged. I hold her tight against my chest and slowly rub her back. The front of my shirt is wet with her tears.

"It's okay Spencer. It's okay. Just calm down, everything's going to be fine." I whisper. I tell her over and over again that everything will be okay. It takes a long time, but Spencer eventually stops crying. Her breathing slows down, her tense body relaxes, and she falls asleep in my arms.

"Is she asleep?" asks Aria.

"Yeah." I say. The three girls kneel down beside me. I look up at them. Their eyes are full of worry and brimming with tears. They've never seen Spencer like this, and neither have I.

Spencer is all about self control . She's strong, and always puts on a brave face. I've only seen her cry twice, and she tried to hide it from me both times. She's a leader. I've seen how she is with her friends. She's the one that holds the group together. She's the one that solves their problems. And she's the one that protects them. For her to lose control, scream at us, and then break down and cry is so unlike her. It's absolutely shocking to all of us.

I look down at Spencer's sleeping form. Her bruised face is stained with tears, but she looks peaceful. She must have been exhausted. I scoop her body up into my arms and quietly stand up. She doesn't weigh much so it isn't a challenge to lift her. Her body feels so fragile, so breakable. Like she might fall to pieces as I hold her in my arm.

I carry her over to the couch and gently set her down. I grab a blanket off a chair and cover her up. She shifts slightly in her sleep, but doesn't wake up. I brush her hair out of her face, and kiss her forehead. She's so beautiful. I love her so much. All I want is to keep her safe. Why is she pushing me away? What happen to her? It must have been something horrible. I thought Spencer could handle anything. I thought we were done with keeping secrets from each other. I guess I was wrong.

I turn towards the girls. They're standing on the opposite side of room, talking in hushed voices. I glance down at Spencer one more time and make sure that she's still asleep, then I walk over and join the girls. I catch them in the middle of a deep conversation. They don't hear me walk up.

"I don't think we should rule it out. Especially after what happened that night." says Emily.

"Rule what out." I ask. All three girls jump when I speak. They didn't notice me standing there, and they clearly didn't want me to hear what they were talking about.

"It's nothing." says Hanna.

"It's not nothing." I say. "What were you guys talking about? If it has to do with what happened to Spencer, then I have the right to know."

"We weren't talking about Spencer." says Aria. "We were discussing something else. It wasn't anything important."

"Stop lying!" I shout.

"Toby." says Emily. She puts her hand on my shoulder. "Keep your voice down. Spencer's sleeping. And think she could use the rest." I immediately calm down.

"Sorry." I say. "This isn't easy for me."

"It's not easy for any of us." says Aria. "Spencer might be your girl friend, but she's been our best friend for years. We've never seen her act like this, and it has us just as scared and worried as you."

"I know." I say. "And that's why you should tell me the truth. You three know something." they look away from me and stare at the floor. "Do you girls know what happened to Spencer?" Emily looks up at me.

"Toby, there is something we're keeping from you. But I promise it's not about Spencer. If we knew what happened to Spencer, we would tell you. I could never keep something like that from you." says Emily. Her eyes are wide and honest.

"Then what are hiding from me?" I ask. Emily looks at Aria and Hanna. A silent agreement passes between them. Then Emily turns back towards me.

"I'll tell you." says Emily. "But not now. Right now we need to focus on Spencer."

"You're right." I say. I look back at Spencer sleeping soundly on the couch.

"Do you think she's telling us the truth?" asks Hanna. "Do you think maybe she really doesn't remember?"

"I don't know." says Aria. "I thought she was lying, but I might've been wrong. She's was so adamant that she didn't remember."

"I don't know. Maybe she isn't lying." I say. "But why didn't she tell us that she was hurt? She had to have known. A head injury like that causes a lot of pain."

"She might have been in shock." says Emily. "I heard that if you get a bad injury you can go into shock, and then you don't feel pain. And that also might explain why she got so….emotional."

"Yeah, I think I remember Spencer saying something about that in biology." says Hanna.

"Okay. So let's say that she's telling the truth and doesn't remember how she got hurt." says Aria. "That still doesn't leave us with any answers. We still have no idea what happened." I drag my hands over my faces.

"Damn it!" I say. "I hate not knowing what happened. I can't stand seeing her hurt. I've never seen her so distressed before. I feel so damn useless!" my hands curl into fists and I pace back and forth. "I don't know what to do." I say. I turn to the girls. "What should we do?"

"Clean." says Aria. I look at her like she's crazy.

"What?" I say.

"We should clean." says Aria.

"We trying to help Spencer, not tidy up her house." says Hanna.

"Cleaning up _will_ help Spencer." says Aria. "You saw how upset she got at the sight of all the blood. We should clean the blood up in the house so she won't have to look at it when she gets up."

"Aria's right." says Emily. "There's not much else we can do right now anyway. We should get the blood out of Spencer's room so she can rest in her bed instead of the couch." I want to argue. Something terrible happened to the love of my life and they want me to _clean_. It seems like there would be something more important to do than that. But I know that they're right. The most important think right now is taking care of Spencer. And Spencer would be much more comfortable in her own bed.

"Fine." I say. "Lets get to work."

* * *

The house is blood free an hour later. We scrubbed the floors, cleaned the walls, and washed the laundry. We stripped the sheets and blankets off of Spencer's bed and replaced them with new ones. All the evidence of whatever happened was washed away.

"I think that's it." says Aria. We're all in Spencer's room double checking our work.

"Why do I feel like we just cleaned up a crime scene." says Hanna. She looks kind of green.

"Maybe we did. We don't know what happened." says Emily.

"That doesn't matter." I say. "It's not like we were going to call the police, and it had to be cleaned up sooner or later."

"Toby's right. We had to do it for Spencer." says Aria. "She would do the same thing for us."

"Yeah." I say. "Now we should go back downstairs and get her." the three friends nod in agreement. We all walk back to the living room. Spencer's right where we left her. She's still sound asleep on the couch. I pick her up bridal style. She mumbles something and curls up closer to me, but stays asleep.

I start to carry her up to her room, but stop when I hear a noise. Someone's coming into the house. Before I can even react, the door swings open and Mr. Hastings walks in. The girls and I freeze.

Mr. Hastings eyes go wide when he sees us. His gaze zooms in on me holding Spencer's limp body in my arms.

"What the hell is going on here!" he shouts.

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**What did you guys think? Did you like it? What do you think is going to happen? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! I love to hear all of your opinions.**

**-Rin Shade **


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for all the reviews. I always like to hear what everyone thinks of the story. Please continue to leave reviews. I don't own anything.**

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_I start to carry her up to her room, but stop when I hear a noise. Someone's coming into the house. Before I can even react, the door swings open and Mr. Hastings walks in. The girls and I freeze._

_Mr. Hastings eyes go wide when he sees us. His gaze zooms in on me holding Spencer's limp body in my arms._

"_What the hell is going on here!" he shouts_.

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Toby's POV

"Why are you in my house?!" yells Mr. Hastings. He throws his briefcase to the ground and stomps up to me.

"Let me explain." I say.

"Shut up!" he screams. "I've always known you were no good. I should have never let you anywhere near my family." he grabs my shirt and yanks me closer to him. Spencer's frail body is smashed between us.

"You don't understand." I say. I try to back away from him, but his grip on me is too tight. I want to push him away, but I can't with Spencer in my arms.

"Oh I understand perfectly." he says. "You come into my house, and you do god knows what to my daughter. I should call the police and throw your ass in jail, but I think I'd rather just beat the shit out of you." he pulls his fist back and aims at my face.

"No! Stop!" yells Hanna. He shoves her small body in front of me and Spencer and pushes Mr. Hastings back. His angry gaze shifts to her. For a moment, I think he might hit her. But he doesn't. He lowers his fist. "Please Mr. Hastings. We're only trying to help Spencer. We would never hurt her. Just give us a minute to tell you what happened." he glares at all of us for a few seconds before he speaks.

"Fine." he says. "You have one minute. And you can start with why my daughter is unconscious."

"She's just sleeping." says Aria. "She's was exhausted and fell asleep. Toby was just carrying her up to her bed." he glances at Spencer. She's still out cold. I'm surprised all the shouting didn't wake her up. Mr. Hastings looks up and me.

"Go ahead and take her to her bed." he says. "Then come right back down and tell me exactly what happened." I nod my head and turn to carry Spencer up stairs. "Be quick." says Mr. Hastings. "I'm not a patient man." I look back at him and try not to glare. He was never my favorite person. I've always hated how he treated Spencer. He acted like she was never good enough. There's been many times when I felt like punching him right in the face. This is one of those times. I turn away from him and continue my walk up the stairs.

I walk into Spencer's room and I set her down on her freshly made bed. I pull the covers over her. She sighs and rolls onto her side. She has me so worried. I want to stay with her and make sure she's safe. The last thing I want to do is face her dad. What a jerk. He didn't even seem all that worried about Spencer.

I softly kiss Spencer's bruised face, and I head back down stairs. Everything seems calmer when I reach the living room. The three girls are sitting side by side on the couch, and Spencer's dad is sitting across from them.

"Glad you made it back." he says. "We almost began without you." I sit down next to Emily. "So. Why don't you tell me what happened." I turn to the girls sitting beside me. I can tell that they're not sure what they should say. They don't know if telling the truth would be the best thing to do. But I think the truth is our only option right now.

"Spencer wasn't answering her phone and we were getting worried. So I came over here this morning to see if she was okay." I say. "When I came into the house, I found blood on the floor and all over Spencer's room. Spencer was in the shower, and when she got out she told us that she didn't remember what happened. She said that she had no idea where the blood came from. We started talking and we were trying to find out what happened."

"Why didn't you call someone?" asks Mr. Hastings.

"Spencer asked us not to." says Emily. "But we wanted to. Especially after we found out that she was hurt."

"She's hurt?" he says.

"Her head." says Aria. "Toby noticed that her head was bleeding. There was a large gash on the back of her head. We wanted to take her to the hospital, but she refused to go. So we got the first aid kit and patched her up."

"What happened after that?' he asks.

"We thought she was keeping something from us. We kept pushing her to tell us the truth. She got super hysterical and kept saying that she didn't remember. After that she cried herself to sleep and then you walked in." says Hanna.

Mr. Hasting just stares at us. I start to get uncomfortable under his gaze. He finally turns away and sighs. He gets up and walks over and grabs a crystal bottle of scotch of a table and pours himself a glass. He takes a big gulp and looks out the window.

"I want to apologize to all of you for the way I acted." he says.

"So you believe us?" asks Hanna.

"Yes. What you told me makes sense." he says.

"You don't seem too worried about Spencer." I say. He looks back over at us.

"That's because I know what happened." he says. My eyes go wide, and I hear the girls gasp.

"You know what happened to her?" I ask.

"Yes." he says. He walks over to us and sits back down.

"Are you going to tell us?" I ask. He runs his hand over his face and takes another drink from his glass.

"When Spencer was nine years old, she broke her arm." he says.

"What does that have to do with what's going on now?" asks Aria.

"Because she broke her arm the same way she bruised her face and hurt her head." he says. "She was sleepwalking."

"Sleepwalking?" I asked. He nods his head.

"She stared sleepwalking when she was nine. Every night she would get up and stumble around the house. She would never remember anything the next morning, and would get upset when we pushed her to try and remember." he says. "Her mother and I took her to the doctor. He said it was caused by a lot of stress."

"How does a nine year old get that stressed out." I ask.

"It was our fault. Her mother and I were fighting a lot, and it was upsetting her more than we realized." he says. "The doctor told us not to worry about it. He said that she'd grow out of it. But a few days later, Spencer fell down the stairs while sleepwalking and broke her arm. She stopped sleepwalking after that. I thought she had grown out of it. It had been years since the last time it happened. But the other day she calls me up and tells me that it happened again and that she got hurt."

"So that's how she bruised her face?" I ask.

"Yes, and I came home right away to make sure she was okay." he says. "But I had to go to work early this morning and I didn't check on her before I left. I should have. But I didn't."

"Are you sure that's what happened to her?" I ask.

"I'm positive." he says. "Not remembering what happened and acting emotional the next morning give away what happened." he says. Either Spencer's dad is a master at lying, or he's telling the truth. Part of me is relieved that Spencer got hurt while sleepwalking instead of some other awful way, but the other part of me is more worried than ever. How can I protect her from this?

"But why didn't she tell us?" asks Emily. "Why would she keep this a secret?"

"I don't know." he says. "Maybe she was embarrassment, or maybe she just didn't want you to worry about her. You'll have to ask her if you want to know the exact reason."

"Is there anything we can do to help her?" asks Aria.

"There is one thing you can do." he says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You can tell me if there's anything going on in her life that's causing her an extreme amount of stress." he says. "The doctor say stress or something traumatic can trigger a sleepwalking episode. She never tells me anything. But if any of you can tell me what's causing her stress, maybe I can work in cutting it out of her life."

I can't think of anything that happened recently. Everything seemed to be going great. Mona was locked up in a hospital and things were getting back to normal. I look over at the girls. Aria and Hanna are clearly hiding something, and Emily looks like she's sick with guilt.

"I can't think of anything that would cause that much stress." says Hanna. I can tell that she's lying. Emily told me that she'd tell me what was going on. I'll have to make sure she doesn't go back on her promise.

"I can't think of anything." I say. "Things seemed great."

"That's too bad." says Mr. Hastings. "I was hoping one of you knew something."

"Sorry we weren't more helpful." I say.

"That's okay. I'll figure something out." he finishes off his drink and sets the glass down. "But right now, you kids need to get to school and work."

"But we can't leave Spencer!" says Aria.

"I'll stay home and keep an eye on her. But you four need to leave." he says.

"I need to stay with Spencer." I say.

"No, you need to get to work before you get fired." he says. "Spencer will be upset if you lose your job because of her."

"It wouldn't be her fault. It's my choice to stay." I say.

"Spencer won't see it that way. She would blame herself, and that's the last thing she needs." he says. He's right. She _would_ blame herself, and she doesn't need that on her shoulders.

"Are you sure she'll be alright?" I ask.

"Don't worry. I've dealt with this before." he says. "I am her father after all."

"Fine. We'll go." I say. "But I'll be right back here after work."

"And we'll be by after school." says Emily.

"Alright." he says. "I'll make sure she knows that you'll be here." he walks the girls and me to the door and lets us out. "I'll see you this evening." he say.

"Yeah. See you." I say. I walk back to my truck and get in. I really don't want to leave Spencer. My brain is telling me that her dad is tell the truth, and her sleepwalking explains everything. But my heart is tell me that something isn't right. I reluctantly pull out of the Hastings driveway. I go to work with a sick feeling of doubt in my gut.

* * *

Spencer's POV

A painful pounding in my head slowly wakes me up. Memories of what happened fill my mind. Damn it. Why did I act like that? Toby and my friends probably think I've lost my mind. I groan and sit up. Every inch of my body hurts.

"Hello Spencer." I jump at the sound of the voice. I thought I was alone. I look to my left and see my dad sitting in a chair next to my bed. Fear and dread fill my body. I shrink back away from him.

"You sure did make a mess of things Spencer." he says in a deadly calm voice. "I had to lie for you. And you know I hate lying."

**So what did you guys think? Did you like the chapter? Did you think the lie about Spencer sleepwalking was believable? What do you think will happen next? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**

**-Rin Shade **


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you so much for all the reviews. You guys are awesome! I really hope you like this chapter. I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_Hello Spencer." I jump at the sound of the voice. I thought I was alone. I look to my left and see my dad sitting in a chair next to my bed. Fear and dread fill my body. I shrink back away from him._

"_You sure did make a mess of things Spencer." he says in a deadly calm voice. "I had to lie for you. And you know I hate lying."_

* * *

Spencer's POV

He seems so relaxed. His body language mimics that of a caring father. But I can sense his rage underneath his calm exterior. A cold dead feeling works its way throughout my body, numbing some of my fear. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I curl my legs close to my chest and watch him with wide eyes. I must look like a scared wounded animal.

"You should have cleaned yourself up." he says. "I had a hell of a time explaining to your friends how you got injured." oh no. He caught the girls and Toby. He told me I couldn't see them anymore. He's going to kill me.

"I….I didn't call them. I didn't tell them to come over." I say.

"I know." he says. "Your much to smart to do that after I told you not to."

"What….what did you tell them?" I ask. A smile spreads over his face. He looks like he's proud of himself.

"Do you remember when you used to sleepwalk?" he asks. Of course I remember. It was terrifying. I was just nine years old. I could never remember what happened, but I would always wake up in strange places. I remember being scared for no reason. I would cry for hours. I remember one time, waking up at the bottom of the stairs with a broken arm. After that, my mom would sleep in my room with me to make sure I wouldn't get hurt. It was one of those rare moments in my childhood, were my mom paid more attention to me than Melissa or her work. I stopped sleepwalking a week or so after that, and haven't done it since.

"Yes. I remember." I say. My voice shakes slightly.

"I told your friends about that. And I told them that you've started to sleepwalk again." he says. "And I told them that you bruised your face and injured your head while sleepwalking."

"And they believed it?" I ask. He narrows his eyes.

"Of course they did. They didn't have any reason not to." he says. My dad is an excellent liar. He can make you believe just about anything. And the lie about me sleepwalking again is a rather good one. I'm a little disappointed I didn't think of it myself.

"So now what?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask. I know it seems like a stupid question to ask, but waiting for the hit is almost worse than the hit itself. My dad stares at me for a second and then laughs. I jump at the sound. Why would he be laughing? Does he enjoy beating me that much?

"I'm not going to do anything." he says. "You may have caused me a lot of trouble, but you didn't exactly do anything wrong." I stare at him warily. I can't tell if he's lying or not. He frowns at my reaction.

"Don't look at me like that Spencer." he says. "Do you think I'm punishing you for my own amusement? What I'm doing is for your own good, and I will only punish you when you've done something to deserve it." so that's how he justifies beating the shit out of me. He's doing it as a favor for me. I have to bite my tongue to hold back a sarcastic remark that's threatening to spill out of my mouth. I don't usually hold my words back, but I know what will happen if I don't.

Right then the doorbell rings throughout the house. I nearly jump out of my skin. I'm was never a jumpy person. My dad must really have me on edge. He looks down at he's watch and sighs.

"That will be your friends." he says.

"What? You let them come back here?' I ask.

"Well I didn't really have a choice. They were quite persistent." he says. "I see now that it might take some time for you to completely cut ties with them. But I'm sure you'll find a way to do it as fast as possible. Those girls and that boy will only cause you trouble. Do you understand me?" I nod my head. I know better know than to not agree with him.

"Good." he says. "I'll go let them in. and then I have to call your Mother and tell her about your sleepwalking. She's coming home tomorrow and I don't want her to be surprised when she see's your face like that." mom's coming home. I feel relief flood my body. Maybe her being here will put a stop to my dad's "punishments". but he seems to read my mind.

"Things won't change just because your mother will be here. You can count on that." he say. Then he leaves. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. Could this get any worse? My phone beeps, alerting me of a text. You have got to be kidding me.

I find my phone sitting on my night stand. I pick it up and open the text.

**I'll disappear from your friends lives, as long as you act like daddy's little girl and keep the secret. -A**

What does A mean? Is A saying that the girls will be left completely alone. As in no threats, texts, or notes. The A nightmare could be over for my friends, and all I have to do is not tell anyone that my dad is abusing me. Why does A want this secret to stay hidden so badly? Why is keeping this secret worth abandoning all efforts against the other girls? A usually wants to expose our secrets, not keep them hidden.

In the end it doesn't matter. A promised to kill those I love if I told anyone. And now I've been given the ability to shield my friends from A's wrath. I'll take this secret to my grave. My friends would do the same for me. I hear a knock at my door. They're here. Time to start lying.

* * *

My door slowly swings open and Hanna, Aria, and Emily step inside. The concern they have written on their face reminds me of what happened this morning. I'm so embarrassed. I basically had a nervous breakdown right in front of them.

"Hey Spence." says Aria.

"Hey." I say. The three girls come deeper into my room and sit around me on my bed.

"How are you feeling?" asks Emily. There's a hint of guilt in her tone.

"Embarrassed." I say.

"So you remember what happened this morning?" asks Hanna.

"Not really." I lie. "But my dad filled me in in all the details."

"Why didn't you tell us about the sleepwalking? Why did you lie about it?" asks Aria.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want to give you guys something else to worry about. And I thought it was a one time thing. And then last night happened." I say.

"Why didn't you tell us this morning?" asks Hanna.

"All I remember about this morning is being upset and confused." I say. "And I vaguely recall yelling at you guys and having a meltdown. I can't apologize enough for that."

"You don't have to be sorry about that. Your dad told us all about how you go crazy after you sleepwalk." says Hanna.

"Hanna!" says Aria.

"What!? That's what he basically said." says Hanna. I smile at Hanna. I love how she can instantly lighten the mood.

"Hanna's right." I say. "I kind of do go crazy. It's just really disorientating and….well, terrifying."

"So what are you going to do?" asks Aria. "Is this going to keep happening? Are you just going to keep getting hurt?"

"There are some safety precautions I can take to make sure I don't hurt myself to badly, but there's not much I can do to stop myself from sleepwalking." I say.

"What do you think triggered it?" asks Hanna.

"Me." says Emily. "It was me." we all look at her.

"What are you talking about Em?" I ask.

"I triggered your sleepwalking." says Emily.

"Why would you think it was your fault Emily. That's ridicules." I say.

"It is my fault." she says. "Your dad says your sleepwalking is caused by extreme stress. You went years without sleepwalking. But it starts back up after I get us all framed for digging up Ali's grave. It's my fault A is after us again, and it's my fault you got hurt." Emily starts crying. We crowed around her and give her a group hug. This is awful. Emily is being eaten up with guilt over a lie my dad and I told her. Even with the promise to leave them alone, A still manages to hurt my friends.

"You can't blame yourself for this Emily. It's not your fault." I say. "Stress isn't causing me to sleepwalk."

"But you dad said that it was stress." says Emily.

"That's a load of crap." I say. "If stress was the cause, then I would have been sleepwalking when I was being accused of killing Ali, or after Ian tried to kill me. I'm sorry to tell you this Em, but getting framed by A again doesn't even make it into my top most stressful situations."

"She has a point Emily." says Aria.

"I guess I can't argue with logic coming from Spencer Hastings." says Emily as she wipes away a few tears. "But if stress isn't causing it, then what is?"

"I don't know." I say. "It just happened. But it's not in anyway your fault. Promise me you'll stop feeling guilty about the grave thing."

"What grave thing?" says a voice. We all turn to my door. Toby is standing there with a determined look on his face. I have I feeling I won't be lying my way out of this.

* * *

**I really hope you guys liked the chapter. Do you think the girls will tell Toby about being a****t the grave or maybe tell him about A's return? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW and tell me what you think. And also, I want you guys to tell me who you think A is in this story. Leave your guesses in your reviews. Thanks for reading!**

**-Rin Shade **


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks for all the great reviews! There's this awesome song you guys should check out. It's called **_**David Livingstone **_**by **_**Jon Bryant. **_**I listen to it when ever I write Spencer and Toby moments. I really think it describes their relationship perfectly. Tell me in your reviews if you agree. I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_I don't know." I say. "It just happened. But it's not in anyway your fault. Promise me you'll stop feeling guilty about the grave thing."_

"_What grave thing?" says a voice. We all turn to my door. Toby is standing there with a determined look on his face. I have I feeling I won't be lying my way out of this. _

* * *

Spencer's POV

The four of us stare at Toby like deer caught in the headlights. A nervous energy starts to build up in my chest, and I suddenly have the overwhelming urge to laugh. I manage to hold my laughter back. I don't need to give my friends another reason to think I'm crazy. And besides, there's nothing funny about this situation. Toby can't find out about A, it's too dangerous. I need to keep him out of this.

"I'm sick of all these secrets." says Toby. "Tell me what the grave thing is." we don't say anything. Tony glares as us, then suddenly his eyes go wide. "You guys aren't taking about Alison's grave and her missing body, are you." we all look down in shame.

"Oh god!" yells Toby. "You said you were out at the cabin. How could you guys be involved in this?!"

"It was all my fault!" says Emily.

"Emily don't." I say. "We've been over this. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is." she says. She starts crying. "I'm so stupid. I was so drunk. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Toby walks over to Emily and wraps her in a hug. She cries into his shoulder.

"What the hell happened?" asks Toby, in a much calmer voice. Hanna, Aria, and I look at each other. We silently decide to tell him what happened, but to leave out the part about A.

"We weren't at Spencer's cabin the night Ali's body was stolen." says Hanna. "We were here."

"We were celebrating, and we were drinking. Emily drank a little too much." says Aria.

"A little?" says Emily, her voice raw from crying. "I don't ever remember anything. That's more than a little drunk."

"Stop blaming yourself Emily." I say.

"What happened?" asks Toby again. I sigh. My entire body is throbbing with pain. Breathing hurts, talking hurts, thinking hurts. I really don't feel like dealing with this. I guess I should be grateful that everyone is distracted from me and my "sleepwalking", but this seem just as bad.

"We all feel asleep." I say. "When we woke up, Emily was gone. We found her holding a shovel and standing in front of Ali's empty grave."

"What?!" says Toby. "Why? How did it happen?"

"I don't know." says Emily. "I don't remember anything. I was too wasted."

"You didn't actually have anything to do with it, did you?" asks Toby.

"I don't remember." says Emily.

"Of course you didn't have anything to do with it Emily." says Hanna.

"How can you be so sure?" asks Emily.

"Because you couldn't even stand up straight when we found you." I say. "You were totally out of it."

"Yeah, you kept calling me Arlene." says Aria. "You weren't in any condition to dig up a grave and steal a body."

"They're right Emily." says Toby. "You would never do something like that."

"But I was there." she says. "It doesn't matter if I did it or not. I screwed up. I gave us all another secret we need hide from. Everything was getting better for everyone, and I ruined it."

"But things weren't getting better for you." says Toby. "You were, are, still hurting. You lost the person you loved. It's nearly imposable to move on from that. You weren't trying to get drunk and end up at Ali's grave. You were just trying to make some of the pain go away. And you can't blame yourself for that. Because this pain you feel. Is not something you deserve to feel. Non of this is your fault."

A strange look forms on Emily's face. It's a mixture of sadness, relief, and gratitude. The way she hold her body changes. It's like a weight has been taken off her shoulders. She slowly leans into Toby and hugs him as tight as she can. I look at Toby in awe. In a few simple words, he manages to do what non of us could. He made Emily see that this mess wasn't her fault, and that it was okay that she was trying to move on from Maya's death. He did the impossible, and suddenly, the world doesn't feel so heave.

* * *

The girls left after a while. They all had appointments they needed to keep. Soon it was just me and Toby, curled up on my bed. I'm resting my head on his chest, his steady heart softly comforting me.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"For what?" he asks.

"For everything." I say. "For what you said to Emily, for always being there for me no matter what, and for being completely amazing." he chuckles softly.

"You think way too much of me." he says.

"I'm serious." I say. "What you did for Emily was wonderful. You helped her so much. You have no idea how great you are."

"I only told her the truth." he says. I look up at him and smile. He doesn't see how great he is. But one day, I'll make him see. I'll show him who he really is. I don't care how long it takes. One day, he'll see how amazing he truly is.

"I love you." I say. He smiles down at me.

"I love you too." he says. We sit there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. I feel myself falling asleep, but before I can completely drift way, Toby asks me something.

"How does you head feel." he asks.

"It hurts." I answer honestly. I'm to tired to lie.

"Do you need anything?" he asks and starts to get up.

"No." I say. "Don't move. I haven't been this comfortable in days." he settles back into my bed and hold on to me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks.

"We didn't want you involved." I say.

"I'm not talking about the grave." he says. "I'm talking about the sleepwalking. Why did you lie to me about it. About how you got hurt?" great. I thought I wouldn't have to lie anymore today. I hate lying to Toby about this. It makes me sick.

"I don't know." I say. "I guess I was just hoping it would go away. I thought it was a one time thing. I'm really sorry. I should have told you."

"It's okay." says Toby. "I just wish I knew how to help you."

"This is one thing you can't save me from." I say. It's true. Toby can do many things, but he can't save me from A, or my dad.

"There has to be something I can do that will keep you safe." he says.

"I'll be okay Toby." I say. "I'm might get a little beat up here and there, but that's all." at least I hope so. I thought my dad was going to kill me last time.

"Don't act like this isn't a big deal. You getting hurt is a very big deal. I can't stand it." says Toby.

"I know. But I can't stop myself from sleepwalking. All I can do is take a few precautions." I say.

"Like what?" asks Toby. I think back to when I was little, and what my parents did to keep me safe when I would sleepwalk.

"I can lock my door, so I don't get out and fall down the stairs. I can make sure the alarm is set at night, so my parents will hear if I try to leave the house. I can have them check on my throughout the night." I say.

"Is that all that can be done?" he asks.

"Well, my mom would sleep in my room at night when I was little. She would wake me up if was sleepwalking." I say. Toby smiles.

"Maybe I should sleep here tonight and keep an eye on you." says Toby. I laugh at the wide grin on his face.

"As much as I would love that, my dad would never allow that." I say. The thought of my dad sends chills down my spin.

"I want to help you." says Toby.

"I know." I say.

"Can you at least promise me something?' he asks.

"What?" I ask.

"Promise me that if you get hurt again sleepwalking, you'll call me. Even if you don't think it's serious. I'll come over and take care of you or take you to the doctor. I'll do what ever you need. Can you please promise me that?" he says. I don't want Toby to get involved with what my dad is doing to me. But it would be nice to have him there to help me if my dad injures me again. And as long as Toby believes I got hurt while sleepwalking, than it's okay if I let him help me. Right? I would love to have him comfort me, even if he doesn't now the whole truth. The pleading look on Toby's face is what breaks me. He needs this as much as I do.

"I promise. I'll call you. Even if it's just a scratch." I say. He smiles and kisses the top of my head.

"Is there anything I can do for you right now?" he asks.

"Just stay with me until I fall asleep." I say.

"Okay." he says. He starts humming quietly. The gentle rhythm of the song and the warmth from Toby's body, carries me safely to sleep.

* * *

Toby's POV

I stayed with Spencer long after she fell asleep. I didn't want to leave, but I had to. I slid into my truck and drive to my loft. Once I'm home, I take out my phone and make a call.

"Hello." says the person who answers.

"Hey, it's Toby. We have a problem." I say. "It's about the girls."

* * *

**What did you guys think? Did you like the chapter? Who do you think Toby called? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. 500 points to anyone that can pick out the line from the show.**

-**Rin Shade **


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you for all the great reviews. 500 points to **The Pretty Little Writer**, **maddog1187**, **Cassidy, and Spobyistruelove **for finding the line from the show. Sorry this update took so long, things have been crazy. I got into a bit of an accident and got pretty beat up, so I haven't been able to update until now. But I should be updating this story a lot more frequently from now on. **

* * *

_I stayed with Spencer long after she fell asleep. I didn't want to leave, but I had to. I slid into my truck and drive to my loft. Once I'm home, I take out my phone and make a call._

"_Hello." says the person who answers._

"_Hey, it's Toby. We have a problem." I say. "It's about the girls."_

* * *

Spencer's POV

My mom came home the day my dad called her. I was surprised at how worried she was for me. She wanted to take me to the doctor, but I convinced her that I was fine. She hardly left my side at first. She would check on me throughout the night, she would have breakfast with me in the morning, and would sit and talk to me after school. Her constant presence made it impossible for my dad to get near me. I started to relax. I thought that maybe the nightmare was over. But all good things must come to an end.

After about week, my mom began to slip back into her old habits. She would leave for work before I got up, and would stay there well into the night. With her committed completely to her work again, my dad was given every opportunity to make my life a living hell. And he used everyone of them.

He didn't beat me nearly as bad as he did before. He would only hit me once or twice when he was angry at me, and he only hit me in places where I could easily hide the marks. But everything I did seemed to make him angry. I would spill some water. He would punch me in the back of my head. I would come home a few minuets late. He would hit me across the back. I would be sitting in my room reading a book. He would come up behind me and literally kick me out of my chair and yell at me for not doing my homework, even if I finished it hours ago.

I'm in a constant state of panic. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't work. I can't concentrate on anything. I keep waiting for him to appear and hit me for not eating right, or for going to sleep to early. Half the time he does. He's just there suddenly, punishing me for doing something he deems wrong.

Every few days, I get a text from A, reminding me not to say anything. I'm losing weight, I'm falling asleep during class, and my grades are suffering. Everything is falling apart. But I can handle it. I think I'm getting used to it. It doesn't hurt so much when he hits me, and I don't cry as much either. I'm growing numb to it. I know that's not a good thing, but I just have to make it to the end of senior year. Then I can leave and go to collage. I just hope there's still something left of me by then.

* * *

**Three weeks later**

Aria's POV

"Remember. That paper is due at the end of the week." says my mom as the bell rings. Everyone gathers there books and hurries out of class. I'm on my way out when my mom calls out to me.

"Aria. Can I talk to you for a second?" she asks.

"Sure." I say. I walk over to her desk. She waits for all of the students to leave the classroom and then she shuts the door.

"Wow. A closed door conversation. This must be serious." I say.

"It is." she say. Her face is full of worry.

"Mom, what's going on? Is everything okay?" I asks.

"I don't know." she says. "I'm hoping that you can help me find out."

"I don't understand." I say. She sighs and grabs a file off of her desk.

"This is a record of Spencer's grade in this class." she says. "In that last few weeks, Spencer's overall grade has dropped from an A to a C."

"What!" I say. "That can't be right."

"It is right." she says. "And after talking to her other teachers, I found out that her grades are dropping in all of her classes. She's gone from having A's in her classes, to having B's and C's."

"But that's impossible." I say. "Spencer is always studying and she would never let her grades drop like that."

"Spencer's been falling asleep in class." she says. "And she hasn't turned in her last two assignments." she pauses for a moment and looks me in the eye. "Honey, is there something going on in Spencer's life right now that might be effecting she in a negative way."

"No." I say. "Not that I know of."

"Are you sure." she say.

"Yes. But I didn't even know she was have trouble with school." I say.

"What about the bruise?" she asks.

"What bruise?" I ask.

"Spencer came to school with a black eye a while back. You told me she just fell." says my mom. "Was that true?" I glance down at my feet. Spencer said that she didn't want anyone to know about her sleepwalking. I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone.

"Aria. If something else happened, you need to tell me." she says. "Did someone hurt Spencer?"

"What!? No, it's not like that." I say.

"But she didn't just get that bruise from falling, did she." she says.

"No." I say. I don't really want to tell my mom the truth, but it looks like I might have to. "Spencer got that bruise while sleepwalking."

"Sleepwalking?" she says.

"Yes. But she can't know that I told you. She made us promise not to say anything." I say.

"Do he parents know?" she asks.

"Yeah. It was actually her dad who told us." I say. "She said she hasn't been sleepwalking since then. Do you think she's telling the truth? Do you think her grades are dropping because of the sleepwalking?"

"I don't know honey." She says. "But if her grades keep dropping, the school is going to call her parents."

"I still can't believe Spencer is having trouble in school." I say. "What should I do?"

"Just be there for her. Keep an eye on her and make sure she's okay. Try to find out if there's something she's not telling you. Spencer has a bright future ahead of her, and I'd hate to see her ruin it. She needs to deal with what's bothering her and turn her grades around while she still has a chance." she says.

"I'll try and talk to her." I say.

"Good. Now you better go before lunch is over." she says.

"Okay. I'll see you later." I leave her classroom and head out into the empty hallway. I walk slowly to the cafeteria and think about the conversation I just had with my mom.

I shouldn't be so surprise by the news about Spencer's grades. I already knew that something was wrong. I haven't really been able to put my finger on it, but Spencer has been different. It's just little things. The past few weeks, Spencer's been jumpy. She jumps at every little thing, like she's waiting for something to attack. She hasn't wanted to spend much time with us. She been going home right after school and she keeps bailing on any plans we make. She always looks tired and she hasn't been eating much. She looks a lot thinner. All of her clothes are just hanging off of her.

Non of the changes have really been that drastic. Someone that wasn't close to her would never be able to tell that anything was wrong. But these small changes have me worried. Spencer just hasn't been Spencer. Spencer is strong and confident, not nervous and jumpy. I keep asking her if she's okay, but she just smiles and says she's fine.

I feel like an awful friend. I should have pushed her to talk to me. But I wanted to believe her. I wanted her to be okay, so when she told me that she was, I just excepted it. But if Spencer's grades are falling, then that means something is seriously wrong.

I walk into the lunchroom and grab a tray. I fill it with food and than I head out into the courtyard to find my friends. I spot Hanna and Emily sitting at a table towards the back. I quickly walk over and join them.

"Hey Aria. We were starting to wonder if you were coming." says Emily as I slid into the seat next to her.

"Yeah, where were you?" asks Hanna.

"My Mom had to talk to me about something." I say.

"What about?" asks Hanna.

"She was asking me if Spencer was doing okay." I say.

"Really? Why?" asks Emily. I don't feel right telling them about Spencer's grades. My mom shouldn't have even told me.

"Um…she was just worried." I say. "And so am I. Spencer hasn't been herself lately."

"I don't think we have anything to be worried about." says Hanna. "Sure, Spencer's been a little preoccupied, but I don't think that's any reason to worry."

"She's been more than preoccupied. She's jumpy, she's barely hangs out with us, and she's lost a lot of weight." I say.

"You're right. She's a lot skinnier, and she always looks exhausted." says Emily.

"Do you think she's still sleepwalking?" asks Hanna.

"I don't know. Maybe." I say.

"Maybe it's A." says Emily. "Have any of you gotten any texts?"

"I haven't heard from A since the night we found all those pictures in the car. That was weeks ago." I say. "What about you guys?"

"The same with me and Emily." says Hanna. "We haven't gotten a text since that night. It's like A disappeared, or took a vacation."

"If we haven't heard from A, then Spencer probably hasn't either. Right?" says Emily. "And Spencer would have told us if A was leaving her messages."

"I wouldn't count on that." I say.

"Lets just ask her." says Hanna as she waves someone over. I turn around and see Spencer. When she sees Hanna she stops. She look around nervously before walking over to us.

"Hey guys." she says. She sits down next to Hanna and sets her tray down. Her eyes dart all over the place and she starts to pick at her sandwich, but she doesn't really eat.

"Are you not hungry?" I ask.

"What?" she ask, her eyes focus on me for only a moment before they start scanning the room again.

"Are you feeling okay?" asks Emily.

"Yeah I'm fine." says Spencer. She pick up her sandwich and takes a bite. It looks like it takes a lot of effort for her to swallow it, and her face looks pale and sick.

"Spencer. Have you heard from A?" I ask. Her eyes go wide and she turns her head towards me.

"What!? No. Have you?" she asks.

"No, non of us have heard from A for weeks." I say. She relaxes slightly and sighs.

"Good." says Spencer. "I was worried that you guys were getting texts. It's good that you're not."

"I don't know if it's such a good thing." says Hanna. "It makes me nervous when A gets all quiet."

"Yeah. I feel like A might be planning something big." says Emily.

"Maybe, maybe not." I say. "What do think Spencer?" right then, someone bumps into Spencer's back as they're walking by.

Spencer throws her hands over her head and cringes towards the table. Her arms hits her tray, and her bottle of water spills onto the ground. A look panic and dread fills her face. She jumps up from the table and starts cleaning up the water.

"Oh god, oh god. I'm so sorry." she says as she franticly wipes up the water. "It's all my fault. I don't now what I was thinking. I'm so sorry."

"Spencer." I say.

"I'll have it cleaned up in just a minute." she says.

"Spencer!" I say as I grab onto her shoulders. She flinches away from me and look up at me with wide eyes. Emily and Hanna kneel down beside her.

"I'm sorry." whispers Spencer.

"It's okay." says Emily. "It's just water and we're outside. You don't have to worry about cleaning it up."

"Oh." says Spencer. She slowly stands back up.

"Are you alright Spencer?" asks Hanna.

"Yeah. I….I just um….I need to go." says Spencer. "I need to get something from my locker. I'll talk to you guys later." she quickly picks up her things and leaves. Hanna, Emily, and I stand there in silence for a few seconds.

"Okay. Now I'm worried." says Hanna.

"Something is seriously wrong with Spencer." says Emily.

"We have to find out what it is." I say.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that Spencer isn't going to tell us anything. That girl can keep a secret." says Hanna.

"She doesn't need to tell us. We'll find out for ourselves." I say. "We're her family, and she needs us. Spencer has always been there for us and we will be there for her. We're _going_ to figure this out. No matter what."

* * *

**I hope you guys liked the chapter. Now that I'm better I'll be updating regularly. Again, sorry for the wait. PLEASE LEAVE A REIVEW and tell me what you think. **

**Rin Shade **


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks for all the great reviews! You guys are awesome. I really hope that you like this chapter. **

* * *

"_She doesn't need to tell us. We'll find out for ourselves." I say. "We're her family, and she needs us. Spencer has always been there for us and we will be there for her. We're going to figure this out. No matter what."_

* * *

Spencer's POV

I practically run out of the school when the final bell rings. I jump into my car and take a deep breath. I'm so stupid. I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I freaked out like that at lunch. I made it completely obvious that something was wrong. Normal people don't act like that. Now they're going to start looking for answers. A might hurt them if they try to find out the truth. And it will be all my fault. They'll get hurt because I couldn't keep it together. My dad's right, I can't do anything right.

I start my car and drive away from the school. Peace. I just needed a few hours of peace and quiet. Some time alone to clear my head. I feel like I'm constantly being examined by everyone, and I just can't take it anymore. After a few minutes of driving, I park my car in front of the library. I grab my books and walk inside.

I find an empty table in the far corner of the library. I sit with my back to the wall so I won't get startled every time someone walks behind me. I take out my history book and open it to the chapter we're on. I know I'm behind on my school work. My dad makes it impossible to work at home, and I've been having a hard time concentrating in class. I need to use the small amount of time I have today to work on all my school work, but my mind keeps wondering.

My dad wants me home at five. I had made plans to go over to Hanna's house and hang out after school, but the thought of spending two hours pretending that everything is great is nauseating. So I told the girls that I was going to spend the afternoon with Toby. Of course, it's a lie. I wasn't going to see Toby. In fact, I've been avoiding Toby.

He knows something isn't right. I've been too jumpy around him. I pull away from him when he gets near me. I used to love being close to him. I loved it when he touched me, when he held me, kissed me. But not anymore. When he gets close to me, it makes me cringe. I flinch when he puts his arms around me. When he gets close to me, I don't feel him gently trying to comfort me. Instead, I feel my dad beating me. Punishing me.

My father has destroyed the purest most beautiful thing in my life. He took away my safe place to land. He's broken my relationship with Toby, and I don't know how to fix it. It would be less painful if he just killed me. Tears start to roll down my face. I don't bother to wipe them away. I just rest my head on my history book and let myself cry.

I'm keeping this secret to keep the people I love safe. But by the time this is all over, I don't think there will be enough left of me to keep loving them. And if I can't love them, how could I ever expect them to love me.

* * *

Toby's POV

It's been weeks since I called Caleb and told him that the girls were in trouble. I told him that they were at Alison's grave the night her body was taken. He was angry that Hanna didn't tell him. He wanted to confront her, but I convinced him not to. I told him it was better to act like he didn't know. We both knew that the girls were still hiding something from us, and it was useless to ask them what it was. So we decided to find out what it was on our own. We've been working non stop ever since.

Caleb is basically living at my loft. We spend all our free time going over notes, looking at old police records, or anything that might help us uncover the truth. Someone stole Alison's body and tried to frame the girls, and we're going to find out who it is.

In the past few weeks we uncovered a few leads, but they were all dead ends. I look up from my computer and look around my loft. It's a mess. There's papers everywhere, dishes and old takeout boxes are piled all over the place, and I haven't done my laundry in a week.

"This is hopeless." I say. "We're never going to find anything. It was stupid to think that we would."

"Maybe." says Caleb. "But we still have to try. It's the only way we can help the girls."

"But we're never going to find anything!" I yell and slam my laptop shut. "We've been at it for weeks and we've got nothing to show for it. We're wasting our time."

"I don't think keeping Hanna and her friends safe is a waste of time." says Caleb.

"How is running in circles and rereading useless information keeping them safe?!" I say.

"What else can we do?!" yells Caleb.

"I don't know!" I shout. "Something. Anything to help them, or to make them talk to us and tell us what's wrong. Because whatever we're doing isn't working fast enough. We need to help them now!"

"What's with you?" asks Caleb. "I've never seen you like this." I sigh and rake my hand through my hair. "It's Spencer. isn't it."

"Yeah." I say. "Something's wrong. I feel like I'm losing her."

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"I'm not sure. She keeps pushing me away. She doesn't answer my calls. She's never around anymore, and when she is with me, her mind is somewhere else. Sometimes she acts like she's afraid of me. It's like she's disappearing right in front of me." I say.

"Do you think it has something to do Ali's Body getting stolen?" he asks.

"That's when it all started." I say. "She's in trouble. Something bad is happening to her and she won't tell me what it is. I need to help her, but I don't know how."

"Don't worry man." says Caleb. "We'll figure this out. We'll find a way to save your girl."

"How?" I ask. Right then someone knocks at the door. I get up and open the door. Three worried faces look up at me.

"Toby." says Aria. "We need your help."

* * *

Spencer's POV

I feel someone put their hand on my shoulder. A small scream escapes my lungs and I jump up from my chair.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." says a hushed voiced. I turn towards its owner. It's a small middle aged women in a plain brown dress. I recognize her as the librarian. I look at my surroundings and realize that I'm still in the library.

"It….it's okay." I say. "It's my fault, I must have fallen asleep."

"That's okay." she says. "I was just letting you know that the library is about to close." I feel my eyes go wide.

"Close?! What time is it?" I ask.

"It's almost eight." she says. I gasp. I quickly grab my things and run out of the library. I get into my car and drive off.

I can't believe I feel asleep. I was just so tired. I was just going to closes my eyes for a minute. I was suppose to be home at five. God, I'm so stupid. My dad's going to kill me. I should've never gone to the library. I should've went straight home after school.

My heart is pounding. Just the thought of what my dad will do to me when I get home causes adrenaline to fill my body. I've been so careful. I've been sure to do exactly what my dad says for weeks. He always hurts me worse when I don't do what he says. And nothing makes him angrier than me being late. I got a flat tire two weeks ago and got home ten minutes late. As punishment, my dad broke my ribs. What will he do to me when I'm three hours late.

I consider running, but I can't do that. -A warned me that if I ran from my dad my friends would get hurt. I take a shaky breath in and pull into my drive way. I slowly get out of my car and walk into my house. It's dark and quiet inside. I don't see my dad anywhere.

I'm not sure what to do. I know my dad is here, and I know he heard me come in. He's just waiting for me to let down my guard. He likes it when he surprises me, because he knows how much I hate it. I start walking towards the stairs, but I never reach them.

I barely reach the living room when he comes up behind me. He grabs my hair and pulls me backwards. He pushes me down to the ground and stands over me.

"Do you have any idea what time it is!" he yells.

"I'm sorry. I…." he kicks me in the stomach. If I had eaten anything today, I would have thrown it up.

"I don't want to hear any of your lies, you pathetic piece of shit." he says. He kicks me again. "You think you can just go and do what ever you want. I'll have to remind you what happens when you disobey me."

He kicks me over and over again. I hear my ribs snap, but before I can even feel any pain from them, he kicks me again in the stomach. I scream. I feel like he I've been ripped in half. I curl up in a ball in the floor and try to protect my injured ribs and stomach. He kicks at my sides a few more times, than stops. He turns around and takes a deep breath. For a moment, I think he's done beating me. But than he turn back around and slams his foot into my left arm. He hits it at just the right angle, and the bones in my arm break.

I scream loudly as he repeatedly stomps his foot on my broken arm. He takes a step back and gives me a final kick in the back of my head. I feel like I'm going to pass out. The world around me goes in and out of focus, but I manage to stay awake.

"Maybe next time you'll remember to do what I say." says my dad in a calm voice. "Your lucky I'm so patient. No one else would ever waste their time on someone like you." he turns away and leaves me. I listen as he climbs the stairs and enters his room.

I continue to lay on the floor. I'm in so much pain. I know that my dad will beat me again if he comes down stairs and finds me still lying on the floor. But I don't care. I have no plan to move from this spot. Warm tears pour down my face. I shut my eyes and try to think about something other than the pain. I start thinking about Toby.

Suddenly, I remember something. A promise I made to Toby weeks ago. I promised that I would go to him for help if I got hurt again. I haven't kept that promise. Instead I pushed him away. But right now, I want to keep my word. I want Toby.

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**So, what do you think? Did you like the chapter? What do you think is going to happen next? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**

-**Rin Shade **


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks for all the great feedback. I can't believe I got over 200 reviews. You guys are awesome. I don't own anything.**

* * *

_Suddenly, I remember something. A promise I made to Toby weeks ago. I promised that I would go to him for help if I got hurt again. I haven't kept that promise. Instead I pushed him away. But right now, I want to keep my word. I want Toby._

* * *

Aria's POV

"Toby." I say. "We need your help." he looks surprised to see us.

"What's wrong?" asks Toby. "Is everything okay?"

"Can we talk about this inside?" I ask. He silently steps aside and lets us into his loft. Spencer had once told me that Toby was a very clean and organized person, so the state of his loft shocks me. There's old clothes, dirty dishes, trash, and papers thrown all over the place. And it definitely smells like a single guy lives here. And among all the mess is another person.

"Caleb?" says Hanna. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. Just hanging out." says Caleb. "What are you guys doing here?"

"They said they needed help." says Toby.

"Help? With what?" asks Caleb. He's beside Hanna in an instant. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." says Hanna.

"You don't look fine." says Caleb. "Something's bothering you. What is it? What's wrong?"

"Where's Spencer?" asks Toby. I look up at him. His eyes are full of pain and worry. He's looks like he hasn't slept in days. "I called her and she told me she was with you three."

"Well, she told _us _that she was going to hangout with you after school." says Emily.

"But I haven't seen her in days." says Toby.

"Yeah, well we already knew she was lying about coming over here." I say. "That's why we're here. Something's wrong with Spencer, and we were hoping you knew something."

"I don't know anything. In fact I was hoping that you guys knew what was wrong with her." says Toby.

"So she hasn't told you if anything is bothering her?" asks Emily. Toby shakes his head.

"I've tried to get her talk to me, but she won't say anything. She just pushes me away." he says. Damn it. I really thought Toby would know something. I'm not sure where to go from here.

"So it's not just us, right Toby?" says Hanna. "Spencer really is acting weird."

"It definitely isn't just you." says Toby. "Something bad is going on."

"She's been acting like she's afraid of something." says Emily.

"Exactly." says Toby. "She's jumpy and panicky all the time. I honestly thought you girls knew what was going on."

"I wish we did." I say. "I thought she would eventually tell us, but we can't wait any longer. Not after what happened today."

"What happened?" asks Toby.

"Spencer totally freaked out at lunch." says Hanna.

"What do you mean?" asks Toby.

"She was already asking strange, and then someone bumped into her. I thought she was going to take cover under the table." I say.

"And then she knocked over her water and started apologizing over and over again, like she did something awful." says Emily. "It was so strange."

"What are we going to do?" I ask. "How do help her?"

"It's impossible to help her if we don't know what's wrong." says Caleb.

"Then how do we find out?" asks Emily. "She won't tell us what's wrong, and she's hardly ever around?"

"I don't know. But we have to think of something." says Toby. Everyone is silent for a moment. I look around the loft as everyone thinks things over. Something doesn't seem right.

I pick a folder up off the coffee table and open it. It's full of hand written notes. They don't really make any sense. They're just a bunch of random thoughts coupled with random people and places, but then something catches my eye. There's an entire page about A, Mona, and Ali's missing body.

"What the hell is this?" I ask. Everyone looks at me. Caleb's eyes go wide and he grabs the folder out of my hands.

"It's nothing." he says. "Just some notes I took in science the other day."

"Since when does biology cover a crazy stalker and our best friends missing body?" I say.

"What are you talking about Aria?" asks Emily.

"That folder is full of weird notes about Mona, Ali, and other creepy things." I say. I turn to Toby and Caleb. "What's going on in here? What are you guys up too?"

"Let me see that." says Hanna, and she snatches the folder away from Caleb. She quickly thumbs through it. She looks up from the notes and glares at Caleb. "Are you trying to find the person that stole Ali's body?"

"We're trying to protect you. All of you." says Caleb.

"How is trying to find a grave robbing lunatic going to protect us?" yells Hanna.

"That grave robber tried to frame you!" says Caleb.

"How do you know about that?" says Hanna.

"Toby told me. But I shouldn't have to hear about something like that from him. You should have told me yourself. How could you keep this from me. You promised, no more secrets." yells Caleb.

"I just wanted to keep you out of it and keep you safe." says Hanna.

"And we want to keep all of you safe." says Toby.

"So you decide the best way to do that is to open up your own investigation into our personal lives." says Emily.

Our fighting is interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. Toby quickly walks over to answer it. He opens the door and I almost scream.

* * *

Spencer's POV

It was agonizing. I'm not even sure how I did it. I was so tired and in so much pain, but some how I managed to pick myself up off the floor, leave my house, and drive all the way to Toby's without passing out. I park my car and practically fall out of it.

I try to stand up straight, but the pain coming from my ribs and stomach keep me hunched over. I cradle my broken arm close to me and slowly stumble up to Toby's door. I know I shouldn't be here. I know it's not safe for Toby to see me like this. But I'm not thinking clearly. My thoughts feel broken and they quickly dissolve before I have time to make sense of them.

All I know is that Toby is just beyond the door in front of me, and I want to see him. I raise hand to the door knock.

* * *

Toby's POV

Spencer is hunched over in pain. Her face is drained of all color and is soaked with tears. Her pale, trembling hands are smeared with blood. Her body starts to sway back and forth.

"Spencer!" I shout. I lung towards her and catch her before she falls to the ground. She cries out in pain as I wrap my arms around her.

"Toby." she whispers as fresh tears begin to pour from her eyes.

"Spencer. What happened?" I ask. She doesn't say anything. She just stares at me with a pained and confused look on her face. "Are you hurt?" she nods her head. "Where?" I ask. She squeezes her eyes shut and buries her face into my shirt.

"Everywhere." she says. I carefully pick her up, but it still causes her pain, and she screams into my chest. I carry her into my loft and gently lay her on my couch. Everyone crowds around us, but I ignore them. I need to focus on Spencer.

"Spencer, you need to tell me what happened." I say. Her eyes start to close. "No Spence, you have to stay awake." she tries to keep her eyes open, but fails. Her body goes limp and her head rounds to the side.

"Spencer. Spencer!" I shout. I turn to Caleb. "Call 911." he nods his head and dials his phone. I vaguely hear him talking to the person that answers as I search Spencer for injuries. I find cut on the back of her head. That must be where the blood came from. My hand brushes against her side and she lets out painful moan. I gentle grasp the bottom of her shirt and pull it up. I can't believe what I see. Her stomach and sides are covered in the most terrible bruises that I've ever seen. The swollen blotches of black and purple cover almost ever inch of her beautiful body.

"Oh Spencer. What's happening to you." I whisper.

* * *

**What do you think is going to happen next? Did you guys like the chapter? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. Thanks for reading.**

**-Rin Shade **


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you for all the great reviews. I don't own anything.**

* * *

_I gentle grasp the bottom of her shirt and pull it up. I can't believe what I see. Her stomach and sides are covered in the most terrible bruises that I've ever seen. The swollen blotches of black and purple cover almost ever inch of her beautiful body._

"_Oh Spencer. What's happening to you." I whisper. _

* * *

Toby's POV

The five of us sit anxiously in the hospital waiting room. The girls are on the other side of the room, having a whispered conversation. Caleb sits silently beside me. He tried to talk to me at first, but gave up when I refused to even look at him. We've been here for over an hour. I've never felt so helpless.

I can't stop thinking about what I saw. Black swollen marks covering Spencer's delicate pale skin. It made me sick to see her like that. And her eyes. They were so haunted, and empty. Spencer's eyes always had so much life in them. She always had so much fight in her, but tonight, that look in her eyes. It was like the fight had been ripped out of her. Like she was giving up. That's not the Spencer I know.

Something terrible must have happened to her. What the hell is it? How did Spencer get those injures? Why has she been acting so weird the past few weeks? I groan and lean my head against the wall. I wish she would just tell me what was going on. I know I could save her if she would just tell me.

"Excuse me." says a man in blue scrubs. "I'm Dr. Tanner. Are you with Spencer Hastings." I jump up and the girls rush over.

"Yes. We….we are." I say. "Is she okay?"

"Are you family?" asks Dr. Tanner.

"I'm her boyfriend." I say.

"I'm sorry, but we can only release information to her family." he says.

"I'm her sister." says Aria. My eyes dart to Aria. She has a determined look plastered on her face. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was telling the truth. That girl is a good liar.

"Okay. What's your name?" asks the doctor.

"Melissa." says Aria.

"Alright Melissa. Why don't you come with me so we can talk." says Dr. Tanner.

"Can't we just talk here?" asks Aria.

"It's better if we have this conversation in private." he says. "So if you would please follow me." he gestures to the door way.

"Okay." says Aria. She turns towards us. "I'll be right back." we watch her leave through the door with the doctor.

"What the hell was that?!" says Hanna. "Why did he have to talk to her in private."

"I don't know." says Caleb.

"This is bad." I whisper. My hands curl into fists and they start to shake.

"How do you know?" asks Emily.

"I just do." I say. "I can feel it."

* * *

Aria's POV

I don't know what made me do it. The lie just fell out of my mouth. I didn't even really think about it. I guess I just wanted to know what was happening to Spencer. And in a way, it wasn't really a lie. Spencer and I are as close as sisters. She's closer to Emily, Hanna, and me than she ever was with Melissa. We tell each other everything. That's why I'm so scared. The secret Spencer's keeping must be really bad if she feels she can't tell us.

I start to get nervous as I follow the doctor down the hallways of the hospital. He's giving off a strange vibe. I look up at the doctor. He almost looks sad. Like he's about to give someone bad news. We continue to walk in silence, until we reach an empty waiting room. Dr. Tanner walks in and takes a seat. I follow his lead and sit down across from him. He opens the thin folder he was carrying, and looks it over.

"So Melissa. How is everything at home." he asks. His question surprises me. Why does he want to know about that? Why isn't he telling me about Spencer?

"What? It….It's fine. Is Spencer going to be okay?" I ask.

"So your home life is fine." he say.

"What the hell!" I say as I begin to lose my temper. "Why are you asking me these stupid questions? Just tell me what's wrong with Spencer." he sighs and leans forward.

"We're still running some tests, but most of her injuries are straight forward." he says. "She has three broken ribs. Her left arm is broken in three places, and she has a concussion. She also has severe bruising on her chest, stomach, back, and legs. We're going to have to keep her here for a few days."

"Oh my god." I whisper.

"Melissa. She also has several older injuries that have either healed improperly, or are still healing." he says.

"Healed improperly? I don't understand." I say.

"It means her injuries weren't treated by a doctor. They were left to heal on there own." he says. "There's several old breaks in her ribs, sternum, collarbone, and shoulder. She has healed fractures on her face and skull. Some of these injures are at least a few weeks old, and some of them are more recent."

"Are you telling me that Spencer's been getting hurt for weeks and no one noticed." I say. "That's impossible."

"I'm afraid it isn't." he says.

"But….how?" I ask.

"The types of injuries she has leave zero doubt in my mind the Spencer is being physical abused." he says.

"What! Abused. But I….she would've have said something. We would've known." I say.

"People who are being abused can do a good job of hiding it from others. Has she been acting differently. Nervous or secretive." he say. I nod my head. "Has she been pushing you and others away?"

"Yes." I say. Tears start to roll down my face. I can't believe this is happening. I would've never guessed that this was the secret that Spencer was keeping. But it all makes sense now. All the signs were there, we just didn't want to see the truth. But who would do this? Who would hurt Spencer like this? Could it be A?

"Do you know who might be abusing her?" he asks.

"No. I have no idea." I say.

"What about her boyfriend?" he asks.

"Toby? No. Never, he would never hurt her." I say. He nods his head and stands up.

"Alright then. Your parents should be here soon and we'll discuss this further with them." he says. "You can go back to the waiting room now, and we'll tell you if anything changes." I nod my head and leave.

I slowly make my way back to the waiting room. I feel so numb. It almost doesn't feel real. I want someone to tell me that this is all a big mistake, and that non of this is really happening. But I know that's not going to happen. Why didn't Spencer tell us what was happening to her? How long has she been suffering?

I get closer to the waiting room. How do I tell them? How do I tell them that someone has been abusing Spencer for who knows how long? And we let it happen. We knew something was wrong, but we didn't do anything. How could I let someone hurt Spencer like this?

I walk through the doors of the waiting room. Everyone jumps up and starts asking me questions. But I don't hear them. There voices just bleed together. I feel myself crying.

* * *

Toby's POV

We all stop asking questions when Aria starts to cry. Hanna and Emily reach out and wrap her in a hug. Aria starts talking, but I can't understand her through all the tears.

"Aria, you need to calm down." says Emily.

"I….I know." says Aria. She sits down in one of the chairs surrounding her and wipes the tears from her face.

"Is Spencer okay." I ask. Aria shakes her head.

"Someone hurt her. Bad." says Aria.

"How bad are her injuries?" asks Caleb.

"She….she has a broken arm and some broken ribs. And…..a lot of old injuries." says Aria.

"What do you mean by old injuries?" asks Hanna. Aria takes a deep breath.

"The doctor says that….that Spencer is….." Aria can't seem to get the words out. Like they might burn her mouth if she speaks them.

"Aria. You need to tell us what the doctor said." I say.

"He said the Spencer is being abused." she whispers.

"What?" I say. I'm not sure I heard her right.

"He said that she's being abused. And that the abuse has been going on awhile now." says Aria.

Everyone else's reaction to the news fades into the background. My vision goes dark, there's a loud ringing in my ears, and my body feels like it's being buried alive. I turn towards the doorway and I start to heard out.

"Toby, where are you going?" asks Caleb.

"I'm going to talk to Spencer and find out who did this to her." I growl. Caleb grabs my arm.

"I don't think that's a good idea." he says. I pull away from him and keep walking. "Toby, just stop and think about this for a minute."

"NO!" I yell. "I'm not going to sit around and wait anymore. I should have been protecting Spencer, but instead I just waited. And now Spencer's in the hospital. Someone has been beating the crap out of the girl I love, and I just sat there and let it happen. So I'm not going to wait anymore." I push pass Caleb, but then Aria jumps in front of me.

"She not even awake yet." says Aria.

"Then I'll wake her up." I say. I try to walk by her, but Aria pushes against my chest with her tiny hands. I could easily move her, but I'm not going to push her out of the way, so I have no choice but to stand there and listen.

"You'll get kicked out of the hospital." says Aria. "And then you won't be there for her when she does wake up. The doctor said he would tell us if anything changes. So we just need to wait. _You_ need to wait. Spencer has been going through hell. She's going to need us there when she wakes up. She'll need you most of all. So just wait. Do it for her."

I take a few steps back. Aria is right. Spencer is the only one that matters right now. So I'll wait. I hate it. I would much rather be doing something to help. But for now I'll wait.

I sharp yell leaves my lungs and I turn and punch the wall as hard as I can. My breathing is fast and uneven. I look down at my fist. My knuckles are bloody, but I don't feel any pain. Someone puts their hand on my shoulder. I turn and see Emily standing there. Her face is wet with tears and her face is full of concern.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"No." I say. "I don't think I'll ever be okay again."

"I know what you mean." she says.

"I'm going to find the son of a bitch that did this." I whisper. "And then I'm going to kill him."

* * *

**So, what did you guys think? Did you like it? What do you think will happen next? -A is going to be revealed soon. Who do you think it's going to be? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**

**-Rin Shade **


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks so much for all the great reviews! No one was able to guess who -A is. Which is kind of awesome, well, for me. I am a little surprised no one has guessed it yet. So I'm going to give you guys a clue. It's someone who hates Spencer more than the other liars, because Spencer has something -A wants. I don't own anything.**

* * *

"_Are you okay?" she asks._

"_No." I say. "I don't think I'll ever be okay again."_

"_I know what you mean." she says._

"_I'm going to find the son of a bitch that did this." I whisper. "And then I'm going to kill him."_

* * *

Toby's POV

I can't calm down. I feel like I'm going to explode. All I can think about is Spencer. I keep seeing her getting hurt. Being alone and unable to defend herself while some monster puts his hands on her. I keep thinking about the list of injuries Aria told me about, and I think of all the different ways she might have received them.

Why didn't Spencer tell me, or someone else? Hell, she could've told anyone. But she didn't. Why? Why did she keep this a secret? I know Spencer better than I know myself. She would never keep her mouth shut about something like this. She wouldn't let someone continue to abuse her. She wouldn't be afraid or ashamed to stand up for herself and go to the cops. Her keeping quiet about this just isn't like her. It's not like Spencer at all.

I rake my hands through my hair and look up at the clock. It's been over an hour since I found out my girlfriend is being abused. Spencer's parents still haven't shown up, and the doctor hasn't been back to update us again. I've always hated waiting, but right now it feels like torture. I want to do something. I want to talk to Spencer. I want to find out who's been hurting her, and I want to hunt him down like the animal he is.

"Have you thought of anyone yet?" asks Caleb. He's sitting down beside me. His face is full of pain. He's just as upset as the rest of us. He's gotten close to Spencer, just like I have gotten close to Hanna. The four girls are practically joined at the hips. They're a package deal. If you want one, the others come with her. We've all gotten so close. We're like a family.

"No" I say. "Have you?" Caleb shakes his head. "What about you girls." I ask. Emily, Hanna, and Aria are sitting across from Caleb and I. We've been trying to figure out who might want to hurt Spencer. The girls have been suspiciously quiet.

"No." says Emily, but she can't look me in the eye when she says this.

"What are you hiding from us?" asks Caleb.

"Nothing! We said we didn't know anything!" says Hanna defensively. I stand up quickly and tower over the girls.

"Damn it! Stop lying. Spencer is in trouble. Someone is hurting her. This isn't the time for you three to be keeping secrets!" I yell. They stare at me for a moment, in shock from my out-burst. Then Aria sigh and looks down at her lap.

"You're right." says Aria. Hanna and Emily look sharply at her, but she ignores them. "This isn't the time for secrets."

"So you're going to tell us what you've been hiding?" I ask.

"Only if you tell us what you and Caleb have been up to." she says. I had forgotten that the girls found out about our little investigation. I glance back at Caleb. He nods his head and gives me the go ahead to tell the girls.

"So if I tell you, you three will tell us everything you've been hiding?" I ask. The three girls quickly have a silent conversation, and after what looked like some protest from Hanna, they seem to come to an agreement.

"We'll tell you everything." says Aria.

* * *

Spencer's POV

My body feels heavy, but at the same time, I feel like I'm floating. I try to focus my mind. All my thoughts are mixed up and nothing makes sense. I feel so lost. What happened to me? Where am I? I try to open my eyes, but the task seems impossible. My eyelids feel like they're sealed shut. It takes all my concentration and energy to open them. And as soon as I do, a bright light fills my vision and I'm forced to shut them again.

Why is it so bright? This doesn't seem right. I open my eyes again, slowly this time. Everything's blurry at first, but then things start to become clear. There's a crisp white blanket draped over me, and my left arm is wrapped in a large cast. Large, beeping, machines surround me, and an IV is sluggishly dripping medicine into my arm.

The hospital. I'm at the hospital. What's going on? How the hell did I end up in the hospital? I was at the library. That's the last thing I remember. I was trying to study. I shouldn't be here. I try to think back and remember what happened. I was at the library, I was tired, and I…..I fell asleep. I remember now. I fell asleep and missed my curfew. I went home and my dad was waiting for me. He was angry. He beat me, kicked me. Oh god it hurt.

But what happened after that? Did my dad go to far? Did he have to take me to the hospital? No, he would never do that. He would let me die first. But then how did I end up here?

"Oh good, you're awake." a voice startles me, and I nearly fall out of the hospital bed. I turn towards the owner of the voice. He's an older man in blue scrubs. He must be a doctor. "How are you feeling?" he asks.

"I…what's going on?" I ask. My voice comes out weak and shaky. The doctor smiles at me. His eyes are warm and kind, but there's also a sadness in them.

"You're in the hospital Spencer." he says. "Are you in any pain?" my head is throbbing and my entire body aches, but I've felt worse.

"Not really." I say. He does something to my IV and he check all the machines that are monitoring my vitals. He writes down a few notes, then he turns back to me.

"Do you remember how you got here?" he asks.

"No." I say.

"An ambulance brought you." he says.

"Who called the ambulance?" I ask.

"You're friends." he says. "You're friends were hanging out and you showed up injured and then you passed out. They called 911 after that." he says. The memories come rushing back to me. I drove to Toby's loft after my dad beat me. I knocked on his door and he answered it. Everyone was there. Everyone I care about.

No! This is bad. This is so bad. How could I be such an idiot. I wasn't thinking. Why wasn't I thinking? I've just destroyed my chance at keeping this secret from them. How will I explain this? Did the doctor tell them anything? Why didn't I just stay away from them? I was so selfish. I wanted Toby. I wanted him to comfort me. And now, because I was too weak to take care of myself, my friends might pay the ultimate price. All I can do is try and make sure they don't put all the pieces together.

"I…I need to leave." I say. I try to get out of my bed. My limbs feel like lead. The drugs in my system make it almost impossible to move. The doctor gentle puts his hand on my shoulder.

"You need to stay in bed for now." he says.

"When can I leave?" I ask. I feel sick. I don't know if it's from the medicine, or the thought that my friends might die because of me.

"We still have a few tests to run to make sure that you don't have any internal injuries." he says.

"So I can go after the tests?" I ask.

"Even if you don't have internal bleeding, you'll still need to stay here for a few days." he says.

"No. no I can't. I….I have to leave now." I say desperately.

"Spencer. You were injured badly. You need to stay here." he says. "And there's also the matter of how you got the injuries."

"W….what do you mean?" I ask. He knows. I can see it in his eyes.

"Spencer. You're going to have to tell the truth. It's for your own good." he says. "I want to help you, but you have to help yourself first."

"I don't…." a knock at the door interrupts me. The doctor gets up to answer it, but the door swings open before he can. My blood runs cold at the site of the person at the door.

"Peter! What are you doing here?" asks the doctor.

"I'm here to see my daughter." says my dad. The doctor's eyes get wide. He looks over at me then back at my dad.

"I….I didn't know that Spencer was your daughter." says the doctor. He clearly knows my dad. I wonder how they met.

"That's because it's non of your business." says my dad. He pushes pass the doctor and walks towards me.

"What's going on here?" he says. I flinch at his words.

"I….I'm. I didn't….I'm sorry." I stammer and try to find a valid excuse that might spare me from his wrath.

"Spencer was brought her with some very concerning injuries." says the doctor. My dad glares at him.

"How are they concerning?" asks my dad.

"Maybe we should step out of the room and talk about this." says the doctor.

"No. you can say what you need to say right here." says my dad. The doctor glances at me and sighs.

"It appears that your daughter is being abused." he says. I cringe when the doctor says this. I know that I am being abused, but I never heard someone say it out loud. It makes it too real.

"I see." my dad says. I was expecting him to freak out, but he is eerily calm. "Well you don't need to worry about a thing doctor. I'll take care of everything from here, and I'll be taking my daughter home." the doctor seems surprised by my fathers attitude.

"I'm sorry Peter, but that's not possible." says the doctor.

"What do you mean?" my dad growls.

"Your daughter can't leave the hospital. She's injured, and we still have some tests to run. We need to keep her here for a few more days." says the doctor. "And there's a protocol I need to follow when dealing with a case of abuse."

"I'm going to take my daughter home." says my dad, his eyes ablaze with rage. "And you are _not_ going to follow this protocol."

"I can't do that." says the doctor. "I've already called the police."

"Then call them back and tell them you were mistaken." says my dad.

"No. I can't do that." says the doctor. My dad takes a step closer to him.

"Yes you can." says my dad. "You can make this all disappear. Just like I made your legal troubles disappear last year. But if you really don't want to help me, then I can always make a call to your boss. I'm sure he'd love to know what happened last year. And he'll make sure you never practice medicine again."

The doctor looks over at me. His face is full of sorrow, like he's trying to apologize to me for what he's about to do. He suddenly looks away from me and he lets his gaze fall to the floor. His shoulders sag and he nods his.

"Okay." he says. "I'll tell the police I was wrong and I'll get a nurse to bring a wheel chair so you can take Spencer home. Don't worry about the paper work. I'll take care of it."

"Smart move." my dad says. The doctor leaves, and I'm left alone with my father. He turns to me and walks up to my bed. He leans over and whispers in my ear.

"You have no idea how much trouble you're in." he says. I can tell he's going to hit me, but then the nurse comes in and he doesn't get the chance. The nurse helps me into the wheel chair and disconnects me from all the machines. My dad takes the wheelchair from her and pushes me out of the room.

My mind starts to drift as we make are ways down the hospital hallways. My mom is off visiting Melissa in Philly for the next week. So when I get home, it will just be me and my dad. I know I should be afraid of what he will do to me once we're alone, but I'm not. I don't care what happens to me anymore.

My dad suddenly stops pushing the wheelchair. I glance back at him. He's staring straight ahead. I follow his gaze to a waiting room we're about to walk by. The room is occupied with my friends. They're sitting close together and talking. My eyes lock onto Toby. He looks so tired. His eyes are red, like he's been crying. It breaks my heart. I did that to him. This is all my fault.

My dad suddenly kneels in front of me.

"Listen closely." he says. "You better go along with what ever I say, or I promise I will kill that piece a shit boyfriend of yours. Do you understand me." I quickly nod my head. He smiles. "Good. Now lets get this over with."

I don't know what my father plans on saying to my friends, but I know it's going to be bad.

* * *

Toby's POV

"I can't believe you didn't tell us that -A was back." says Caleb.

"I can't believe you and Toby were digging around in our personal lives." says Hanna.

"We were just trying to keep you guys safe." I say.

"And we were trying to keep you two safe by not telling you about -A." says Emily. Caleb looks like he's going to argue some more, but Aria stop him.

"Just stop." says Aria. "Everyone stop arguing." we all shut up and look at her. "Fighting with each other isn't going to solve anything. We all know the truth now, so lets stop fighting and move on."

"Aria's right. We should be focusing on helping Spencer right now." I say. I turn towards the girls. "So you three think that -A is the one who has been hurting Spencer."

"It's possible." says Emily. "-A could have something on Spencer to keep her quiet. Besides, who else would hurt her?"

"Why don't we ask Spencer." says Hanna as she points to the doorway. We all turn and see Spencer. She's sitting in a wheelchair just outside the doorway. I jump up and run towards her. I'm about a foot away from her when her dad steps in front of me. He raises his fist and punches me in the nose. I fall to the floor and cover my bleeding face with my hand.

"You bastard." shouts Mr. Hastings. He stands over me and glares down. "Spencer told me everything. You're the one who's been abusing my daughter."

* * *

**What did you guys think? Did you like the chapter? Do you think Spencer will go along with what her dad is saying, and let him blame Toby? And have you guessed who -A is yet? PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. **

-**Rin Shade **


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